The Winged Girl - MiM does, in fact, have a kid
by RapunzelInTheSnow
Summary: Valentina Silverlight is the Man In the Moon's daughter. She didn't want anything but her own company after her only friend's death. Who knew MiM also was an overprotective father who would go so far as to ask the Guardians to take care of his daughter? I'm really bad at summaries, so please just read and review!
1. This means War, Frost!

I opened my eyes, and grinned.

Hel-_lo,_ Jack Frost.

Before you make conclusions, I'm an IMMORTAL. A slightly odd, flying immortal but an immortal nonetheless. And that damn Frostbite keeps stealing my air currents. (Here's a science lesson: birds crash without air currents. To the ground._ Painfully.)_

But here in front of me, just standing there, was Jack Frost, all alone, _without_ his stick. It was the long overdue payback time.

_-Two hours earlier, The Pole_

"Use me as bait? Are you serious?"

North grinned. "Ve trap girl. Ve find vhy Mim wants her at the Pole and presto, plan is complete."

Jack snorted. "That is _not _a good plan. Why me?" He froze an elf and North frowned. "Jack, she has a grudge against you. I don't know vhy."

Jack considered his options. "I'll do it. If you let me have cookie dough afterwards."

"Done."

_Present time_

I crept up behind him and shot a burst of energy at him. He spun and ducked. "Now do I get it back, Cottontail?" Someone behind me tossed his staff to him. "Hello, Sheila." I growled and kicked them backwards. "A_ set-up?! You gotta be kidding me! He nearly kills me and this is a SET UP?!_"

A huge rabbit picked itself up from the ground. "The Easter Bunny? Oh c'mon, old man! You can do better than this!" I yelled. A snowball hit me in the face. "Kangaroo isn't that old."

"I'm alright fighting my own battles, mate." A yeti shoved me in a sack. And through a portal.

Great. Just great. "This means war, Frost!"


	2. My Daughter

_Valentina's PoV_

"Valentina Silverlight! Velcome to the North Pole!" Booming voice. Russian accent. It was North, there was no doubt about that. I'd heard of the guy, but no-one mentioned the tattoos.

He helped me out of the bag. "Who are you, exactly? MiM wants you here. Vhy?"

I gasped. "You don't know?" Suddenly an elf pointed to a skylight. North grinned. "MANNY! Glad you could make it here!" At that moment, a tunnel spat the Frosty Annoyance across the floor, followed by the rabbit. "Where's Tooth?" "Here, Bunny." "Hey Sandman!"

_**Enough greetings. **_

I snarled. "You asked them to bring me here, didn't you?"

Tooth gaped as the girl let rip at MiM in a variety of languages. "That's just not possible!"

"What is it, Tooth?" Jack asked, puzzled. The fairies were squeaking and bugging their eyes. Suddenly she hit on a language he recognized. English, _finally._

"You are the worst father in the world! Would it kill you to leave me _alone_?!" She burst into tears, and Jack just had to make it worse. "Family issues?"

She snarled and slammed her hands together and a staff made of silver with a red globe set in the end appeared in the middle of them. It was taller than she was. And aimed at Jack.

"_Honey!" _A jet of the stuff hit Jack before he could react, and he yelped.

_**Jack, this is my daughter, Valentina.**_ The girl sobbed and ran off. "Crikey." muttered Bunnymund. Jack was plastered against the wall. "Guys. A little help, maybe?" North looked at him. "Vhat you said was unnecessary, Jack."

The elves helped Jack off the wall, and North headed off to find Valentina.


	3. The grudge against Frost

North found her hunched in a corner with Phil fussing over her. She was still crying.

"Vhat is your grudge against Jack?" North asked. That had been bugging him ever since last year. She'd vanished from the nice list for attempting to throw a punch at Jack. He leant down and wrapped an arm around her. She sniffled. "I love flying, and Jack always summons the winds, right? Well, I fall when he does that. I've gotten really hurt before because he steals my air currents. Like, the Himalayas aren't that beautiful when you fall down them."

North was surprised. "That is what the honey was about?" A thought struck him. "But how do you fly?" She grinned a little. "I can float, and fly! And transform things. And make other things float, and telepathy." She thought a little. "Spells too. That's what I used on Jack. The staff comes from here." She showed him silver markings on her hands.

She got up and North stood up too. Suddenly, wings burst from her back. Beautiful black and silver wings. North's eyes widened like cartwheels.

But black wings, all the same. Valentina smiled sadly. "They match my hair, huh? They're a default setting, I guess. I can make them seem different, with spells… but they're still black underneath." The tears were back. North gestured to Phil, who picked the girl up, reassuring her in the growling language the yetis used.

Well.

Probably reassuring.

_**North, my child trusts you. **_North glanced towards the window.

"I vill take care of her as if she were my own, Manny." He noticed Phil stuttering a little. Valentina was replying in his own language. She climbed down and said something that sounded very much like the yeti's word for North, and then one he recognized as-

_Knock. _ North grinned. Perhaps Phil would learn after all.

Jack appeared, scoffing cookie dough like there was no tomorrow, and Valentina looked at him. "You have honey in your hair." He dropped the cookie dough. "Whose fault is that?!"

There was a short zapping sound, and Jack was holding a bag full of biscuits.

"It's an apology."

She walked off again, just as Bunny walked up.

"Well," he grinned, "That was a bit unexpected."


	4. That Bloody Sheila

Bunny was painting in the Warren. Peacefully, with only the egg guards for company. He'd loved the look on Jack's face when he'd been splatted by the Sheila, and then given cookies, and was humming happily.

He sniffed suddenly. An odd scent had crept into the Warren, almost unnoticed. He crept along to where it was coming from.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF A DINGO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

There was the Sheila, _painting _a sentinel egg with a picture of a boy holding some sort of weapon. She swore and dropped the brushes. "Hasta Luego, Kangaroo!" She vanished after hitting the ground with her staff thing, and Bunny was left staring at a repainted egg sentry.

It wasn't the only thing. All the eggs around it were painted with different pictures, and his walls hadn't escaped either. There was a picture of Bunny himself on one of the eggs with the message Love from the Easter Bunny!

His consolation was they were good paintings, he thought as he headed for the Pole.

"Hey, Cottontail! What brings you to this freezing place?" Frostbite. Gah. He growled. "Your little girlfriend painted my Warren."

Despite himself (and his annoyance at the girlfriend bit), Jack couldn't help it. "Can I see?" Bunny stamped on the ground and Jack was rollercoastering down to the Warren. Every surface had been painted with gusto, and Jack was holding his sides. "It hurts that she didn't even invite me! Oh, this is precious!"

"Sorry, but how, how is this precious? She repainted my Warren and all you are mad about is that you didn't get to join in? Get outta here, Frostbite!" Bunny slung him over one shoulder and took him back to the Pole.

"Bunny? What has Jack done now?" North was waiting for them.

"Not Frostbite, but that bloody Sheila! She painted my Warren! Where is she, mate?" Aster fumed. North shrugged. "I don't know." Phil growled at him. "Ah, she took off for Japan five minutes ago." Bunny looked at Jack.

"Oh, no. No way, Kangaroo. I am not going to see the snow ladies just because Val painted your Warren." Bunny picked him up and tossed a snow globe in the air. "No mate. You're going because you laughed at me." With that, he tossed Jack through the portal.


	5. Stupid Kid!

Valentina's PoV

I loved Japan! Jack couldn't come here, Bunny couldn't come here, Tooth was too busy (ditto for Sandy) and North hated the kokeshi dolls. I could stay here all alone for… ages. A year maybe.

I hadn't meant to get so carried away at the Warren, though. It was like holding a pair of scissors. I meant to talk to Bunny (or annoy him) and suddenly I found brushes scattered around… and I was off! I love drawing. But when Bunny found me and I saw what I'd done, I panicked.

I went to a nearby sweet shop and filled my backpack with stuff, leaving the equivalent money on the shelves. And now I had those…

I spread my wings and flew to the mountains.

Jack landed with a splat in the snow. That stupid kid! If she hadn't pranked Bunny, _he _wouldn't be in Japan where those crazy yuki onna were. (Who really hated him.) She might have thought it was funny, but even Jack thought she was irresponsible.

He snarled and flurries began to form quickly. _Damn._ "Go find her Jack, never mind she keeps throwing you into walls! She's just a kid! And we protect kids! She's only twenty six years old! Never mind that you still have honey in your hair, _she's _the little kid." He stopped. A snowstorm had started on the mountain, and he heard something close by.

He saw a smudge of black in the blizzard now ripping into the mountain. "-_n she says, ohhhh, I can't take no more, her tears like diamonds on the floor, and her diamonds-"_

Smudges don't sing. Jack was pretty sure about this. If he looked close, he could make out wings and trainers as the smudge swooped up and down.

"- _bring me down, and I can't _fppllrrgghh!"

The smudge got a mouthful of snow. Jack dusted off his hands and shouted. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! JAPAN? I CAN'T COME TO JAPAN! YUKI ONNA HATE ME!"

"THAT WAS THE IDEA, YOU SNOW FILLED GASBAG! NO-ONE COMES HERE!" she yelled back. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO PAINT EVERYTHING, OKAY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE BABYSAT!"

The snow swirled upwards. The yuki onna had realized who had caused the storm, and they weren't too happy. Jack picked the protesting girl up under one arm and ran for it into the sky.

Or tried to. The snow women simply froze him and he fell back down. Val stood up and started shouting. _Leave him alone! He is my friend and you will leave him be! I will melt you to slush if you so much as touch him, are we clear?_

The snow women disappeared, but one of them made it clear to Jack she wanted them gone immediately. Val blushed a little, and allowed Jack to pick her up again. How embarrassing to have admitted to Jack she would protect him from the snow ladies!

Fortunately, Jack didn't speak Japanese. "What did you say?" Val grinned. "That _I _was going to eat you to save them the trouble." Jack went pale. _This kid…_

"Don't worry. I won't." They landed at the North Pole. Bunny marched up to them. "It's three weeks until Easter, Sheila! And I thought I'd end up with bodgy eggs cause of you." She hung her head. _**I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!**_ She thought into Bunny's head.

Bunny laughed. Jack blinked, and dropped Val by mistake. "It's fine! They was bonzer, the ones you did! You've helped me out while tryin' to pull a fast one!" He smirked. "Nice try, ankle biter." He hopped away.

She picked herself up from the floor. She looked disgusted. "Since when am I an ankle biter, mate?" she shouted as the Easter Bunny retreated. Jack patted her head. "Who's a little ankle biter then?"

"Watch it, Frost." Jack grinned. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all.


	6. Dobbin, Blame, and Exploding Cake

Jack hummed as he tapped the staff against the walls and floor, freezing them solid. He spun the staff in his hands and wandered (perhaps on purpose) to where North and the yetis were fussing Val again. "So, what did she do now?"

Val bolted as soon as North and the yetis turned to face Jack. "I didn't do a single thing!" she yelled. The doors of the workshop clanged shut. North pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm guessing she _did_ do something?" Jack snickered. He loved seeing someone else in the hot seat. "Crash landed on the kites. Tell me it's crash landing on the kites."

North shook his head. "She did something worse." Jack snickered again. "She baked."

"And…" North stomped to the kitchens, Phil dragging Jack, "-watch the jacket, watch the jacket!"

There was a huge black hole where the door used to be.

Jack's chin dropped. Wait a minute… hadn't he gone in there for cake and decided to… oh, yeah! He'd put a cake in the oven two hours ago. Whoops.

"North… it wasn't her, it was me!" protested Jack. "Um, two hours ago! I put a cake in and forgot. Later!" The sprite dodged the yeti and ran for it as North began to shout.

"Where's Val?" he yelled at an elf. He froze it by accident. "Ack, sorry, you'll thaw."

Valentina was in fact in the snow outside, building a snow creature. "Boys can't cook, you know. I just opened the oven door and there was this almighty bang, and I found myself holding the door and in the corridor. It's not fair, but…" She grinned. Stupid Frostbite! She could feel him panicking, and North mentally swearing as he tried to find the boy. Sometimes telepathy was good.

A horse appeared in front of her, made of black sand. She froze and whipped out the staff. "My little girl! How are you doing?" The tone was gentle with a hint of condescension. Slowly she turned around. The boogeyman was stood there, examining his fingernails.

"Not yours by a long shot." She slammed her staff into the ground, and disappeared. Pitch touched the snow creature. "How beautiful! I must congratulate you on this." He paused. "I know you're there. I can feel your fear."

Jack saw Pitch standing in the snow by a large sculpture of a dragon. The boogeyman reached round the tail and dragged Val out by her hair. The snow dragon shook suddenly and turned grey as Val wrenched herself free. "SIC HIM!" she screamed in utter fury, pointing the staff at Pitch. The gold eyes widened. "A little pet for me to play with? You shouldn't have." The stone dragon growled. "I agree. He is a complete idiot," Val snorted. The dragon cracked its tail, throwing Pitch away into the ice walls surrounding them.

Jack rushed up. "You okay?"

Val grinned. "It's me, and you actually have to ask? Thanks for all your help, by the way." The horse whinnied. "Buh-bye, Dobbin!" she whispered as it ran to find its master.

"Dobbin, huh." Jack smiled. "I think you're way off track there." She glanced. "And _I _think we better scarper."

She slammed her staff into the ground and they landed in a tangled heap of kites and limbs in the workshop. Jack helped her up and looked at the kites. "Whoops. How're we gonna- hey, come back here!" Val was running as fast as possible, even phasing through walls in her haste.

"JACK! WHAT DID YOU DO?" North yelled.

From the other end of the pole, Val snickered. "Beat that, Frosty!" She pondered about the stone dragon, and decided it could wait. Right now, she needed to hide. Jack was furious and coming this way.

Pitch sat in the ice, as furious as the teenage winter sprite. One day, when he wasn't as bruised as he was now, he'd get that brat for the beating.

**Please review!**


	7. The Past: Fabian, Adieu

**A backstory…kind of… Please rate and review!**

_Tooth unlocked the chamber containing Val's teeth. She just had to know how Val's immortality had occurred, and why Pitch knew. North had told her of Pitch's appearance and she had to find out why Pitch had come for Val._

_1992_

A little girl was holding hands with a young adolescent. "Fabian! Tell me again! About the Guardians!"

"Haven't you heard it all before?" grumbled the adolescent. The moon shone above them. _**Hello, my little one.**_ The girl ran ahead. _**Daddy!**_ She flung herself into the snow, giggling. The moonlight shone to create a shadowy figure next to her. Fabian caught up and helped her up. "She got hurt today, MiM. Sorry, but she just flew on ahead and crashed into a wall."

_**What did I tell you about that?**_ The shadowy figure frowned visibly.

_**Sorry, it was just so much fun!**_ The girl tried to look apologetic._** I lost a tooth, too! Tooth Fairy will come, right?**_

_Tooth cradled the silver casket as the memory finished. Nothing so far._

_2000_

A thirteen year old swooped up and down dizzyingly quickly. "Look at me, Dad! I'm flying, and I'm doing fine!" The moon did not respond.

Fabian stood unchanged below. "I'll see you later, then." He wandered down an alleyway while Valentina flew upwards, riding an air current.

A familiar voice cut in. "Wind, take me home!"

Valentina screamed as the air supporting her vanished and she landed in a crumpled heap on a roof.

She spat a tooth into the snow. "Oh, man! Fabian will flip! I better get home… Damn you, Jack Frost!"

_Tooth smiled. So Jack had believers before! And he'd gone and made her crash. No wonder she had aimed that magic blast at him._

_2003_

"Fabian! No, Fabian, no, no!"

Blood leaked into the ground as Fabian held his side. Valentina was holding a sword uncertainly, and a fox-like boy stood in front of her. "You don't know how to use that, child. Drop it so I can kill you."

"Never." Fabian tried to stand and crashed to the ground. Valentina started to sob and the earth shook, bright energy bursts erupting from the ground. It was obvious how unstable the power was. The fox spirit floated high into the air and dropped with a sickening crunch.

Fabian gasped. "You did it! He…"

Blood poured down the boy's chin and he choked and coughed. Valentina wiped the blood away, and cradled his head. The moon slid into view. _**A bit too late, Father! Save him! Now! I'm begging you!**_

_**It is not right. Not what I have in store for him.**_

_**Are you saying that you only have death in store for Fabian? It can't be! I will save him if you won't!**_

She began to shake and glowed visibly, holding Fabian and sobbing. An explosion threw her backwards and Fabian stood up shakily. "I am okay?" He fell suddenly forward, and more blood fell to the ground.

Val surged forward to catch him. "But I cast the spell! I did everything right! What…"

Fabian grinned at her, and Val fell onto the ground. "You released the spell that kept me caged. The real Fabian – the stuff of nightmares –is here." His eyes turned black and the menace- even in memory – was palpable.

A Black Eyed Being. Fabian was one of the evillest humanoids on the planet and planes. Val tried to run and suddenly light sucked itself from Fabian and slammed into Val. Fabian screamed in fury and turned to dust. Val shuddered and gasped, looking shocked.

_**What happened? Daddy**_ …

_**You reversed the spell. Even I can't turn you back. I'm sorry. You've…**_

…_**become an immortal?! No. NO! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!**_

_**FabianI'msosorryFabianFabian!**_

A single tooth lay on the ground, knocked out by the spell as Val rocketed away from the moon's gaze. She collapsed…

…and a dark figure carefully picked her up. "This is how I will repay my debt, old man. Then I owe you nothing."

_Tooth was breathing heavily at the shock of the scene. Pitch had _saved _Valentina… who had made herself immortal only by accident and had to kill her friend in the process. Tooth wept for the girl before collecting herself and heading off to retrieve a molar from China. ___


	8. Pitch Is Evil, But We Knew This

**Forgot to say the backstory is dedicated to and asked for by teeceecee. Thanks for reviewing!**

Jack woke up from a dream in a panic. He listened for a bit and mentally screamed.

There was something _breathing_ outside his bedroom door. It sounded scared but it was breathing outside his door. It tapped against the door and Jack picked up the staff, about to freeze whatever the thing was.

A little voice whispered into the silence.

"Jack? Frostbite?"

He sighed and opened the bedroom door. "Val?" The teenager was curled up next to his doorway.

Big grey eyes stared up at him. "I had a nightmare…"

Jack swore. "A nightmare?" Damn. Pitch hadn't forgiven her then.

"It wanted me to follow it when I woke up… There was a fearling in my room when I woke up…"

Jack sighed again and wandered out of the door. "Let's go raid the kitchens then. Cheer you up. What was your nightmare about?"

Val fidgeted. "It's a bit personal." She sniffled a little and Tooth suddenly flew around the corner. "Val! Jack! It's so late, why are you out of bed?"

"Val had a nightmare." Jack grinned in a vaguely winning way. "Could we just go to the kitchens?" He widened his smile, showing a lot of teeth. Tooth blinked. "What was the nightmare about? Fabi- oh!" She clamped her hands over her mouth. Val gasped. "You saw my memories?" She started towards the Guardian.

"Uh, yeah, got to go, see you!" Tooth flew off in a hurry. Val looked angry and sad at the same time and stopped in the hallway.

Jack stared at Val. "What's Fabi?"

"Not telling you, Frost."

"I'll hide the cookies before you can find them with your mojo…inside the elves."

Val frowned. "Go ahead."

Jack turned around. "Hey, is Fabi really that personal?" Val sniffled a little and Jack patted her head. "Okay. Keep it to yourself, _ankle biter._"

Val growled a little and followed Jack down to the kitchen. Sugar rush, here they came.

The next morning, Jack awoke with his mouth feeling like a STAMPEDE of candy had taken over. He also found something pinned to his hoodie. How the hell was something pinned to his hoodie?

_Dear Jack,_

_I went back to my room and there was the fearling there again. Me and my pony friend are going to Mr Black's! It's SUCH a good idea, yeah? Left a teapot in the microwave, as well, so please cover for me. Pony wants to go now. Byeeeee! Val._

The note had loads of drawings around the words. Jack was having a heart attack while reading this.

Pitch had sent a fearling round while Val was on a sugar high that Jack had caused. _Me and my pony friend?! _What the hell was that about?

He ran to Val's room to find black sand. Oh hell. This was so his fault.

"Moon brat?"

Pitch's voice roused Valentina. She leapt to her feet and slammed her palms together. The staff was in her hands.

"Why am I here? Why did you bring me here?"

Pitch smirked at her. "Free will brought you here. Last time it was me, do you remember?" Val looked blank, and Pitch tutted like an old woman. "Of course not! You weren't conscious after the spell that turned you into an immortal, were you? Regrettably, I know you fear hurting people – especially since that little show at the pole!"

Val snarled and shot a spell towards him. It hit the fearling beside him, turning it into a kitten.

"A kitten. Impressive. While you think of cute and cuddly things like that, I'll tell you why you're here, shall I?"

"Don't. It'll be immortality or lack of it for you." Val narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, no. I want that little trinket of yours. So powerful… in the right hands." Pitch sneered at her. "Think about whether yours are."

"I know they are, you scum!"

Pitch rose in the air a few centimetres. "Temper, temper! Really, and such a lovely little girl you used to be."

_**It's mine. Give up**_ now." The telepathic and spoken sentence echoed about the lair of the Bogeyman. He chuckled and called into the shadows. "Bran? Come see to our… guest." Val turned the cage to dust with the staff and dropped to the ground. Pitch raised an eyebrow, and a boy stepped out of the shadows. "Father? Who is this?" She sprang to her feet and spread her wings. "_Now!" _roared Pitch. Bran threw what looked like black dream sand at her and she dropped to the ground, asleep and trembling.

Pitch smiled. "Well done, Bran." Bran said nothing, but stared at the ground. "Sweet nightmares, brat" hissed Pitch.


	9. Bran - That Means Raven, Right?

_Run the Welsh through Google translate for the full effect. Thanks for reviewing!_

Bran watched the black sand forming above the girl's head twist into the shape of a staff. He tried to take it and a mental scream ripped through his head with the only recognizable words being _**mine you evil scum go away**_.

This was not going well. The staff vanished to be replaced by a grinning boy who lunged for him before becoming the staff again. Enough was enough.

Bran shook the girl's shoulder. "Wake up."

She sprang groggily upwards. "You complete… blackheart! You're just toying with me for your own damn amusement!"

Bran growled. " Dydw i ddim fy nhad!" Val snorted. "Yeah, but that doesn't make you any less of an evil sodding daddy's boy."

Bran snarled. "Gau i fyny os nad ydych am hunllefau eto."

Val stuck out her tongue at him. "You really think you can keep me here long enough for that? Please, spare me the idiocy."

Bran turned on his heel. Stupid brat.

_At the Pole_

"I told you not to raid my kitchens. Now look! And what was the teapot doing… never mind. Why would Pitch take Valentina?"

North was worrying. Jack, to his surprise, found he was too. Was Val okay? Was she even alive?

Tooth flew in through the door. "Jack! What happened? Baby said it was urgent… what is it? Are you okay? Are your teeth okay – Oh My Molars! You have candy smears! On your TEETH!"

She looked around and frowned. "Where's Val?"

Jack finally found his voice. "Pitch took her last night while she was sugar high. Which is all my fault and I'm sorry but can we go get her already before something happens?" He started to shake.

Aster came through the door. "One and a half weeks before bloody Easter! Seriously, ya bloody Frostbite? Can't ya just try and get your ideas straight?"

Jack shot a burst of frost towards him. "Kangaroo, Pitch has Val, and IT'S MY FAULT. So SHUT UP!"

Aster went ballistic.

"What?! No, mate. It's Pitch that's made a blue. Let's go! I'm gonna kill 'im."

He stamped on the ground, and jumped through the tunnel, followed by the rest of the Guardians.

_At Pitch's Lair_

"Bran means Raven." Val was getting a kick out of annoying Pitch's son.

Bran snarled at the girl. "Shut. Up."

"So if you think about it, it makes sense, because you're raving mad to think of kidnapping me."

Bran snorted. "Once we prise that staff from your dead fingers then we'll finally have a way to rule."

Val looked at him. "Never lie about your plans to a telepath, boyo. It is such a bad idea. You want me to help you increase Pitch's power and telepathically influence kids to believe in him and you. The answer, by the way, is no. Never."

Bran gaped at her. "Bloody hell." That was the plan to the last line.

"Busted." An angry voice cut in. "Where's Pitch?"

"Hey, Jack! You were a while!" Val sounded actually happy to see Jack Frost, and Bran readied some nightmare sand. Something lashed his back and the one and only Sandman stood before him.

Bloody, bloody hell.

Pitch appeared in the corner. "A social call? You shouldn't have." North burst into the room followed by the others.

"We are taking Valentina home _now_. You are a despicable man, Black!" North looked ready to skewer Pitch.

"The girl owes me ,North." Pitch sounded so confident.

Aster threw a boomerang surreptitiously and Pitch collapsed. Bran yelped. "Father!"

"He's just fainted! Bran, he's fine!" Val rushed to the other teenager's side. "Aster hit a pressure point. He'll be up in about half an hour."

Bran shoved her away. "Go away! Get away from here!" Sandy threw dream sand at him and North picked Valentina up by the arms. "We go. Now."

_Back at the Pole _**(Author's note: Sorry the setting is changing so quickly!)**

"Why do you owe him?" Jack looked at Val sideways.

Tooth sighed. "Pitch saved her life once."

The guardians looked at Val. She yawned dramatically. "Boring. Let's move onto the bit where I get candy for staying alive."

"No candy for three days." North looked thunderous. "Candy is forbidden. As is access to my kitchens."

Val spread her wings and flew out of the door. They looked at Tooth.

"Memories. Guardian of. Can't say any more."

Sandy formed a picture of Bran, followed by a question mark.

"Who cares?" Jack snorted. He didn't like the kid one bit.

On top of the Globe, Val sighed . "I think I'll call the dragon Fang."

No candy. Damn Jack Frost and his good ideas.


	10. Caged in the Pole! NOOOOOOO!

"Valentina! Why are you on top of the globe?!"

North was panicking. Valentina was on top of the globe, meaning that she was blocking his view of the lights.

"It's comfy and I don't want to go in my room. I'm also bored because while Jack is allowed outside, you have caged up my dragon and grounded me. I'm protesting."

North snapped.

"GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU ARE DOUBLY GROUNDED!"

Jack came in. "I can hear you from the other end of the Pole, North!" He followed North's gaze.

"Val, why are you…"

North snorted. "She is protesting against her grounding."

"And you, Mr Frost, can't freeze the globe." She snuggled her face into a cushion.

"Get down from there!"

"My terms are these: Lift the sentence and free the dragon. Also, let me have some candy."

Jack sighed. "The globe can thaw, right?"

North nodded a silent affirmative. Jack shot a burst of frosty magic towards the globe and Val slid off screeching. "DAMN YOU FROST!"

She hovered in front of him, desperately flapping her wings. She clapped her hands and the staff appeared. "I hate being cooped up! Both of you are keeping me here! And I hate it!" Grass sprung up from the floor followed by cactus plants.

"Why cactus plants?" Suddenly it started to rain pebbles inside the Pole. Jack froze Val's wings and she dropped. "Phil, catch!"

The pebbles fell to the ground as Phil caught Valentina, who started to cry. He started scolding her and carried her out of the main room.

Jack looked at North. "What's up with her?"

North sighed ." I think I know. But until I'm sure, I am not going to tell you."

Jack snorted a little. "If it's just a theory, you can tell me."

"She feels responsible for Pitch being hurt, and in turn, guilty that Bran now hates her."

Jack blinked. "Why would she? It's not her fault. It's Pitch's!" Jack froze an elf and North frowned.

"Jack! It is just a theory."

Bran was storming around. "How could they? I know you're okay, Dad, but those stupid guardians ruined my plans!"

Pitch sneered. "And they were not my plans. Which are working."

"Your plans are to sit here regaining strength! Which, when you could gain strength from her, is stupid!"

The nightmares whinnied at him. "Yeah, I know. He's not stupid. Sorry, Father."

Pitch looked at him. "I will leave you to your thoughts, Bran."

He left and Bran glared at the ground.

_Wide grey eyes came closer as Val rushed up to him, reassuring him that Pitch would be fine, while the guardians eyed both father and son with contempt. He shoved her towards them, and Sandman glared at him, and the last thing he saw was Val being dragged off. All the while, Jack Frost had murder in his eyes. _

The stupid Guardian of Fun had actually come for someone like Val like she was important to him, and glared at him in a I-wish-I-could-kill-or-maim-you way. His fears had washed over Bran so quickly and now he hated him.

Even if Val was MiM's daughter, she wasn't much. Not to Bran. Not at all.

"Why am I thinking about it?" he screamed, and sand exploded to his left.

Pitch snickered from the shadows. The boy was now behaving like an adolescent human. How hilarious. His son had only ever behaved as Pitch told him, and his own Pitch-like plans were causing him to slowly behave like himself. Delicious irony.

…

Sandy sat beside Valentina.

"I feel like the Pole is a cage, Sandy. I just want to go outside."

Sandy shook his head.

"Why? I can take care of myself!"

Sandy made a series of images, meaning _Could you hurt Bran if necessary?_ Valentina sighed.

"No. I don't like hurting people. But I could keep him in one place."

Sandy shook his head again. No way was she going to be allowed out.

"Bran can get into the pole anyway, if Pitch can."

Sandy raised an eyebrow. A little cat appeared over his head.

"I know. Only if he's lucky enough to get past the spells and yetis."

Sandy looked at her.

"My spells. The hexes that release a random event on anyone who uses a portal under the bed."

Sandy gave her a thumbs up.

"I know, it's a good idea, but can I please go outside?"

Sandy shook his head.

"Argh!" Valentina stormed out and slammed the door.

Jack met her in the hallway. "Hey."

Valentina sniffed. "Go away."

She flew through a window and breathed in the fresh air.

Jack yelped. "Get back in here!"

"Shan't." She tapped the paintball gun strapped to her side. "Don't think I'm so helpless, Jack! I'll be fine!" She hovered, and spread out her wings. Then she flew away and dropped into the snow.

_**See, Jack? I'll just stay here.**_

Jack flew out of the window after her and found her lying in the snow ready with the gun.

"Oww! What the hell?"

"Snowball versus paintball!"


	11. Instant Annihilation Barbie!

"Take the gun."

North closed his eyes as the yeti picked up the paintball gun.

"Hell no!"

The paintball gun reappeared in Val's hands. "It's mine, North. My weapon, not yours!"

"You should not paintball the Pole by accident while having a snowball fight with Jack! I have every right to take this!"

"Jack used his staff and froze a yeti!"

Val pouted at North. "It's my gun. My weapon."

A yeti came through holding water balloons, shruikens, katana, flamethrowers, a javelin, knuckledusters, and a whole load of other stuff. "They're my weapons too! LEAVE THEM ALONE YOU LITTLE PEST!" She knocked an elf away with the staff.

"You can't hold all that at once. NO WAY." Jack chimed in.

Valentina grinned. Years later, when nightmares had been visiting, Jack would remember that smile. The nightmares were nowhere near as scary as that lopsided grin.

She took everything out of the room and came back in half an hour later, wings outstretched.

"Holy Crap. It's Instant Annihilation Barbie." Jack spluttered. Every single weapon had its place, and the fact some could not be seen was very scary indeed. She levelled the staff at Jack. "I dare you. Take one of the weapons off me."

North looked at Jack. Jack looked at North.

"You can keep them." Both of them agreed.

Jack tripped over Valentina in the hallway. She was fast asleep and smiling.

"Hey, wake up. Val. Wake up."

Val blinked. "What…oh, I must have fallen asleep." She got up and floated mid-air. "I can't seem to get the hang of one of the spells I found in the library. It keeps sending me to sleep when I lose concentration."

"What does it do?" Jack asked. Curious as to what could be more powerful than Valentina, he picked up the book.

"To witchlight upon another?"

"It sends a tag upon someone, but it's a sentient spell. It bobs around, finds the person you're looking for and attaches a telepathic link that's one way. It would be really useful, but I can only manage a spark before I go lights out." She huffed. " I have vast amounts of magic reserve! But I just can't really cast it."

She picked up her staff and aimed it. "Witchlight!" A spark fluttered out of the end and bobbed towards Jack. Val fell forwards and the spark disappeared. Jack woke her up.

"Damn!" She huffed. Jack flipped through the pages explaining how to produce a witchlight. "Hey, could it be you have to attach a link thingy to the actual spell before sending it out? It could be intentionally sending you to sleep."

Val looked up in surprise. "I'll try that!" She frowned, and a little ghostly thing popped out of the end of the staff.

"How about that? It worked!" Val grinned and waved her hand. The ghostie vanished. "Okay, so here it says how to tie someone to an object. Could be useful."

Jack started whistling. She frowned at him. "Don't do that. It's distracting."

"Forget your spells! Have some fun! Come annoy Bunny with me!"

She snorted. "It's Easter in two days, Jack! Let's go visit Mexico or something."

"How about going to Tooth's place?"

"No." Suddenly she looked at her book, and rushed around the corner, half running and half floating. She came back with another book. "Snow magic! You can try your hand at this!"

Jack howled with laughter. "You can't be serious!"

"Am too! It'll help!"

"Alright, it could be fun…"

The first spell was "Causing a Flurry." He looked at her. "Really?"

"Try 134." He flipped through.

"COLOURED SNOW? THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST EASTER EVER!"

Val grinned. Bunny would kill her… probably. But Easter was going to be _so_ much better than Christmas this year.


	12. Pink Snow!

Jack was grinning.

"This is Master of All Things Awesome to Ankle biter, Ankle biter, do you read me?"

"No, because the library that stocks you would have to be burned. Is Plan Colored Pink a go?"

"Wait for it! We have to wait until we see Target Kangaroo." Jack grinned at her from the rooftop across the street.

"Stop using up the walkie talkie's batteries. Seriously, Jack, I feel like an evil person."

"Probably because you are. Readying the spell! Is Cottontail in sight?"

"No, so I'm readying a witchlight to find him." A tiny spark drifted towards Jack. "Your side of town! He's on your side of town!"

Jack snickered. "This is going to be the best Easter prank _ever._"

Bunnymund had finished hiding all the eggs for Easter in the little town and was heading to watch the little kids find them.

He suddenly spotted something odd on the ground. A little black feather. He hopped towards it.

"_This could be bad. I'll send the witchlight to get it."_

A little blue light thing snatched it up and flew away with it. And then, things went very badly wrong for Bunnymund.

_Jack muttered the spell and shot it up into the sky._

It began to snow. Pink bloody snow.

"ALRIGHT FROST! WHERE ARE YA? I'LL SHOW YA, YA BLOODY SHOW PONY! YOU COME DOWN HERE AN' I'LL GIVE YA PINK SNOW!"

The children started to wander out of the houses. "It's snowing pink! Look!"

_**Say the Easter Bunny must have sent it**__**and must be good friends with Jack Frost.**_ _Val whispered in their minds._

"The Easter Bunny must have sent it! He must be really good friends with Jack Frost!"

_Jack almost fell off the roof laughing as Bunny hid in the bushes growling, and the kids discussed this matter. "That is the most awesome thing ever. Best prank in the world!"_

Bunnymund watched as the kids found the eggs one by one, and went down one of the rabbit tunnels he kept hidden in the shrubs.

_Jack held on to Val's staff as she hit the ground with it. They landed at the Pole and made themselves comfortable in the library, waiting for Bunnymund to arrive._

"WHERE ARE THEY? THEY BLOODY WELL RUINED EASTER FOR A PRANK! NORTH, WHERE ARE THEY?"

Jack grinned at Val.

"My friend, they have been studying all day! Val wanted to practice some of her spells and Jack decided to learn some as well. They cannot have come out of the library."

Jack snickered, and Val winked at the door. "Aster?" She called out like a kid. "Are you there?" Bunnymund crashed through the door in a fury.

"I should bloody well say so! You pair of dingoes! You made it snow PINK on EASTER!"

Val obtained a puzzled look. "We've been here all day! I wanted to practice witchlighting."

Jack gulped. Whoops.

"Witchlight, huh? Well, ankle biter, I saw one pick up one o' your feathers in town."

"Busted!" North chuckled. "Oh dear. Did the little ones have fun? That whole town is glowing gold!"

Bunnymund snickered as Jack and Val slumped. "We were so careful though!" Val wailed. "We hid and everything."

"And learnt the spell…" groaned Jack.

North looked at Bunnymund. "What do we do with them?"

Jack signaled Val. She muttered under her breath and Bunnymund's ears twitched. "What are you doing?"

Jack and Val vanished.

"Well, mate, for a first pointer, we don't take our eyes off of either of them. Especially not the little one."

…

Val and Jack landed in the snow outside. "You blew our cover" Jack snorted.

Val pouted at him. "So? He'd have found out eventually. But well done on mastering pink snow."

She flew into the air before delivering the parting shot. "How very manly of you."

Jack blushed and stuttered, before flying after her.

"What do you mean by that? You said-"

The wind snatched away his next words and Val flew away laughing.


	13. Pitch has a Plan, And Val has Karaoke!

**Thanks muchly to Lady Minuialwen! For reviewing! Yay!**

Pitch sighed.

"Bran. Open the door." His son had locked himself in the bathroom and wouldn't come out.

"No! You'll be mad!" Pitch put a hand over his eyes and phased through the door.

A boy was huddled in the corner. It was Bran but…

"You dyed your hair." Pitch leant down.

Bran looked up. "Why did I do that?"

Pitch looked at him. "Of all people, you should know that, Bran." He picked the dye packet up.

Bran growled. "I do know! And I hate it!"

Pitch patted him on the shoulder. "At least the colour isn't that bad."

"It's brown!" Bran looked tearful. "I wanted to not look like me…"

Pitch looked at him. "Why?"

"I want to go to the Pole." Bran blurted.

"Absolutely not. You know what happened last time." He grabbed Bran's arm and pointed out the ferret bites.

"What if I try a different method? Dad, I want to go to the Pole. Let's face it, you can't really stop me."

Pitch looked at him. "Even at my worst, I could stop you." Honestly.

Bran stood up. "Sorry, Dad. I guess…I can't, even looking like this."

Pitch snickered as a wild plan popped into his head. "Not at the moment… but what if…" He quickly explained his plan to Bran.

"It will take patience. But not even North can turn spirits away at that time."

"But if Jack and Val don't trust me…"

"Well… Jack might not." Pitch put an arm around his son. "See, Jack doesn't trust you. But someone else does, even if they set traps."

Val was sitting in a tree. She was also singing – something she considered a victory song.

"The heart is a bloom/Shoots up through the stony ground/There's no room/No space to rent in this town/You're out of luck/And the reason that you had to care/The traffic is stuck/And you're not movin' anywhere/You thought you'd found a friend/To take you out of this place/Someone you could lend a hand/In return for grace…"

She giggled suddenly and jumped out of the tree and swooped upwards in an arc of pure joy.

"OH HELL YEAH! It's a beautiful day/Sky falls, you feel like/It's a beautiful day/Don't let it get away!"

The town of Burgess rang with the song as her voice swelled and rose.

Jamie frowned. "Jack?" He looked out of the window and saw a girl singing and swooping up and down.

"Wow! Seriously wow!" He rushed out into the snow (left over from yesterday's snow day) and followed her. Others didn't notice her as she sang U2 to her heart's content. Suddenly she laughed and dropped into a snow bank, and Jamie rushed up to her.

"Wow! Did you just fly?"

The girl sat up suddenly. "You see me?"

Before Jamie could answer she flicked his nose. "Aha! Jack's friend Jamie! Wow, and hello there!"

"You have wings! Real feathery wings! Who are you?"

"Valentina Silverlight, the Princess Valentina Lunanoff, Daughter of the Tsar Lunanoff, the Man in the Moon." She giggled again. Jamie laughed too. "You're one of Jack's friends, then?"

She suddenly obtained a wicked look in her eyes. "I was before I escaped the Pole, where I got grounded. When Jack was guarding me to make sure I didn't escape! Ha!"

Jamie sniggered. "Jack making sure you served your grounding? Ha!" They giggled and Jamie flung himself down in the snow.

"VALENTINA? ARE YOU HERE? YOU ARE SO DEAD IF YOU ARE!" Jack's voice rang out over Burgess.

"NO!" she shouted. "Got to go, Jammy Dodger!" She swooped up into the sky and flew away.

Jack dropped down next to Jamie. "Hey, Jamie! See you met Val, then."

Jamie threw a snow ball at him, and ran. Jack looked torn, before starting a snowball fight.

Valentina was sitting on the edge of a cliff when a shadow grew next to her in the shape of a letter. She looked at it in surprise, before picking it up.

"_Valentina,_

_Can we meet up please? I want to talk to you._

_Bran."_

**CLIFFHANGER!**


	14. So, Does Coffee Sound Good To You?

She read the note, and quickly re-read it.

_What the hell was this?_

She looked at the letter. It was hastily scribbled and in biro. She pressed her knuckles against her forehead and tried to think.

Bran. Pitch's son. He wanted to meet up and talk? Why?

She spread her wings and soared upwards.

"Oh help. What do I do?"

She flew onwards until she reached France. "Damn." She swerved and avoided Paris. She flew onwards for a while, thinking rapidly. She landed quickly and listened.

"Eh, tío, ¿qué estás haciendo?"

The backstreets of Madrid. Interesting.

She stepped into the shadows, and breathed out. "I'm here. Okay? You can come talk now."

Val waited, thinking hard about escape routes and the best way to defend herself if Bran attacked.

A boy with brown hair stood opposite her, and cleared his throat.

"Hello? I'm here."

"Uh, you can see me?"

The boy tutted at her. "No duh! It's me, you stupid chicken girl."

"BRAN? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?" She shrieked and he leapt forward covering her mouth. "Shut up! Drunk people can hear you!"

"Smrrfrr…" (Sorry.)

"Um. I wanted to talk to you." Bran released her.

"Okay. That's okay. Um. What about?"

"I, um, actually wanted to just hang out. Er. If that's okay."

Valentina looked at him. "And mystic notes is so the way to go."

He turned away, and started to walk away.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean it like that. Sorry!"

He turned back around. "Is coffee too forward?"

"No, not at all! I like lattes."

Pitch watched as one of Madrid's coffee shops had two new customers. He turned his face to the appearing moon.

"Don't blame me for introducing our children, old man. She is actually the older woman. Bran turned twenty last year."

The silence almost echoed.

"Nothing? I guess you're busy."

A patch of ice appeared under his feet and he almost fell.

"Hey, Pitch."

Jack looked anything but friendly as he floated on the wind nearby.

"Hello, Frost. Might I congratulate you on sneaking up on me?"

"No, you may not. Where is Val? Where is she?"

"In a coffee shop. Talking with my son."

Jack looked madder than a wasp told 'no jam for you, mister.'

"What?"

"Just over there. They arranged it! Nothing to do with me."

Jack grabbed Pitch's throat. "Like I'm stupid enough to believe that!"

He dropped him and flew into the street. He spotted a coffee shop and barged in. Val looked up from her latte. "Jack?"

He looked at Bran. "What the hell did you do to get her to trust you? What did you do to her?"

"Um, Jack, I trusted him before." Val hissed.

He grabbed her. "Go invisible _now._" She looked at Bran. "I'll call you, okay?" She walked out of the door and ducked into an alley.

"Alright, what the hell was that Frost?"

Jack looked at her. "I should be asking that! You were the one getting cosy with that shade!"

She glared at him. "Can you actually hear yourself right now? You are acting like such a- a girl!"

He threw his hands in the air. "I give up! You were on a date with Pitch's son, and _I'm _ the bad guy?"

She blushed crimson. "It was just coffee! And he's my friend! Not…" She trailed off.

"He shouldn't even be that! How do you not see this?"

She slapped him. Jack clutched his cheek. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"It disgusts me that you have to ask." She turned her back on him and flew off.

Bran had walked the opposite way when he saw his father walking towards him. He had probably been overhead the entire time.

"How was the little date?"

Bran blushed. "It was just me and her meeting up for coffee and talking as friends. Not a date!"

His father nodded. "I see. Frost crashing it was rather my fault. I do apologise."

Bran shrugged a little. "I don't really mind. He was just scared for her. The fear was actually not better than the coffee, though."

His father laughed. "So?"

"So I talked to her. About random stuff. She said Japan is her favourite place, but Jack doesn't like it. She seemed a bit sad about that. I asked her why and she said the culture there's amazing. And she said she has to get me to watch Fairy Tail. Apparently it's epic."

"Ah."

Pitch summoned the shadows around them and boy and man disappeared.

Valentina had locked herself in her room and closed the curtains. She closed her eyes when frost crept under the door, and when Jack banged on the window, she put her earphones in her ears.

Jack leaned against the window. "Damn."


	15. Another Day Out - Bran Flies!

Bunny tripped over Jack in the hallway. He looked down in surprise, and frowned down. "Hey. Shouldn't ya be out in the fresh snowy air?"

"Nnnnnnn." Bunny became quite alarmed and bent down. "Frostbite! Are you okay? How long have ya been there? Mate!"

Jack stood up slowly and looked up sadly. "She won't open the door…"

"What did ya do this time?" Bunny grumbled.

"It was not my fault! She was on a date with Pitch's son!"

Bunny reeled. He hammered on the door. "Ya drongo! You went on a date with Pitch Black's son? THE ONE WHO KIDNAPPED YOU? What were you thinking? ARE YOU A COMPLETE DILL?"

Stony silence greeted him. Bunny looked at Jack. "What did you do then?"

"Stormed into a coffee shop and dragged her out. Then I shouted at her and insulted Creep Kid." Jack looked very pale even for him.

"YOU BLOODY DILL! YOU STORMED IN ON HER DATE AND DRAGGED HER AWAY?"

"It wasn't a date, you utter idiots! It was two friends meeting up! For coffee!" Val shouted through the door.

"Val! Let me in!" Jack pounded on the door.

"Sod off! You are scum, and a cold hearted piece of scum at that!" Val growled. They heard her walk away and something broke.

"WHAT WAS THAT? LET ME IN! PLEASE!" Jack was knocking on the door.

"ME PACKING, IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP! IF YOU DO, IT WAS ME PUNCHING THE MIRROR BECAUSE THE PERSON INSIDE ACTUALLY USED TO SEE YOU AS A FRIEND!"

"What the- let me in! You could be really hurt!"

"Eff off!"

Bunny tapped a foot on the ground and disappeared, followed by a growl, a zap and a Bunnylike scream.

He came out covered in custard. And bright purple.

"Take the purple away and I'll go away! Val, please stop this!" yelled Bunny. His fur returned to normal.

"Stop what? I am asking to be left alone. So leave me alone and there will be no trouble." Val sounded quite tired and reasonable. Bunny nodded. "I'll leave the refrigerator outside your door. He won't move. Sorry."

Val groaned. "Useless rabbit." She didn't say it with much conviction. Bunny chuckled a little. Jack flung himself against the door and bounced off.

Inside the room, Valentina picked shards of glass off of the floor telekinetically, and checking for remnants before floating them to the bin. "Seven years bad luck." She looked down and sighed. A note appeared and she scrambled for it.

_Valentina,_

_How are you? I hope you're okay. I was wondering, do you want to meet up again? I thought we could watch that anime?_

_Bran_

She scribbled on a piece of paper happily.

_Bran,_

_Of course! I can sneak out now if you want. I'll avoid the yetis, don't worry! _

_Val x x_

She put it under her bed and it vanished.

Bran picked it up and hugged it after reading it. He dropped another into the portal.

_Meet you in London 5 minutes?_

Val grinned.

_Oh, I'm coming! See you at Tower Bridge in 3 minutes._

She slipped out of the window, and flew off.

Four minutes later she landed at Tower Bridge. "Bran?"

"Four minutes, that was." Bran sounded reproachful. She whirled round and laughed. "Aha! Found you!"

He smiled at her happily. "Yeah. So, shall we?"

She looked at him. "Huh?"

"I know of a little internet café, it's around here somewhere…"

"In this area or London?"

"London. I think." She giggled and tapped his nose. "I'll find it for you."

She closed her eyes and muttered for a bit. Her eyes snapped open. "Three streets away, that way." She took Bran's hand and soared upwards, and he laughed suddenly. "This is brilliant! How do you bring yourself to come back down?"

She winked. "The people on the ground who can't fly. They bring me back to earth!" They dropped into a little side street and walked the rest of the way.

Three hours later, Bran was converted. "Oh, my God! That's so awesome! I mean, it's just…just…"

"Ha. I'm glad you like the awesomeness of Fairy Tail!" Val grinned lopsidedly. "Are you too grounded to go flying? Only if you want to."

Bran blinked. "Are you joking? You don't even need to ask."

She giggled and slammed her hands together. The rod of silver appeared, and she aimed at Bran.

"What are you doing?" His voice trembled.

"Oh, sorry! I'm just going to give you wings for a bit!" He smiled at her and nodded, and she zapped him.

Grey wings sprouted and he lifted partway into the air. "Oh, Lord!" She grabbed his hands. "The air currents just like to play with wings. Let them lift you then flap for a bit."

"How?" Bran looked panicked as they rose above London. Val let the staff sink back into her hands and talked quickly.

"They're like extra arms, yes?" Bran nodded. "Flap them!" He did so, and laughed out loud. "Wow! Look at me! Flying!"

"Yeah, look out world! The spectacular Bran Black is SOARING in the skies!" They yelled like mad things and swirled upwards.

"This is the best day ever!" Bran caught Valentina's arms and dragged her along to a clearing in a forest below that had appeared as they flew.

"I have to go. Do you mind removing them?" She clapped and zapped quickly, and Bran smiled, and faded. She sighed, and headed off to the Pole. "See you, then."


	16. Telling Jack

Val opened the door and peered at Jack slumped. "Jack? What are you still doing there?"

Jack hugged her middle. "You OPENED the door!"

"Um. Now I feel like a dreadful person." Jack looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because I haven't been in my room?" She bit her lip. _Oh MiM I should have lied. How can I lie to him now?_

Jack looked at her. "Oh." His arms left her waist and he stood up. "You've been…"

"…in London. Sorry. With Bran."

Jack smiled slightly. "Really? You snuck out for a date."

"No. No, Jack! I'm so sorry. I didn't think that you would wait! I just introduced Bran to Fairy flying. The poor kid couldn't before."

Jack looked at her and sighed. "Spare me."

"Come on. Jack. Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaack."

Jack sighed again. "Come on yourself! No puppy eyes! Val, you shouldn't sneak out for a date."

"Not a date!"

Jack slammed his staff on the ground and ice spread on the corridor. "Then why the hell do you take his side instead?"

"Instead of what? Your "let's blame him because he tried one method to ensure his father didn't die" attitude?"

"That method could have killed you!"

"No way could it have grazed my power! My energy may be sealed, but I can tap it when necessary! So, he couldn't have hurt me. And you can't condemn Bran. Desperation is a terrible thing! It caused me to become immortal while trying to stop a friend from dying."

Jack looked at her intently. "That's why they call you the accidental immortal?"

She nodded. "I haven't even told North. But I don't see why I can't tell you. Only if you stop calling these outings dates and be nicer to Bran. Did you know that he dyed his hair because he wants to come to the Pole at Christmas? He has never been. Not once. And Pitch is just too busy to throw a family Christmas."

Jack's heart dropped. Poor kid. All alone and never having Christmas. "Okay."

"I'll tell you then. Before I became immortal, I was looked after by another immortal teenager, because I hadn't got a mom to take care of me. He was called Fabian."

"Fabi." Jack guessed.

"Yeah, Fabi. He looked after me, taught me how to fight and at an extreme situation, how to escape, and if need be, kill." Jack felt horror-struck. "But, biologically, you're only sixteen!"

Valentina sighed. "I was seven when I was taught that. He taught me about the Guardians, and the other immortals. Good, bad, middling. He taught me how to survive, and also magic. Every evening, he'd take me to a mountain, and I'd talk to my dad. I learnt how to fly by myself, and my grudge started when I was thirteen and you made me crash! I lost a tooth, and Fabian told me not to fly for a month. Together, we fought off most bad guys who wanted to kill me. Then one day, a nine tailed fox spirit tried to kill me and Fabian took the hit. I went almost mad with grief and killed the spirit. I tried to get my father to save Fabian, but he wouldn't. So I tried, and…"

Jack touched her hand. "And?"

"Fabian had a seal on him. I must have released him. The Fabian I knew didn't really exist. The real Fabian was a Black-eyed being. They're an evil humanoid, and this one attacked me. My sealed powers reversed the spell and Fabian turned to dust. I turned immortal. I tried to run away from my father when he told me what had happened. I remember feeling so tired, and someone picking me up."

"According to Tooth, it was Pitch who saved me. I owe him. He was right. For ten years, I wandered the world, and fended for myself. I tried to cheer myself up, but I knew I'd killed both the fox and Fabian. I felt like a monster. I still don't know who my mom was, and all I know is she sealed most of my magical powers, allowing me to tap them, but not giving the full power. I probably get my magic from her."

Jack looked at her. "You are not a monster. Fabian was. He would have killed you."

She hugged him. "I know. And you aren't scum. You're the best friend I have."

Jack grinned at her. "I am sorry you lost a tooth!" She flicked his nose. "Don't be."

"So." Jack looked serious.

"Yeah?"

"What time is lover boy coming tomorrow?"

She shrieked. "He's not my boyfriend! Stop acting like a jealous cow!"

He sniggered. "Methinke the lady doth protest too much!"

She clapped her hands and Jack ran for it. "Ooh, have you kissed yet?"

"Get your icicled butt back here! Jackson Overland Frost, you are in SO MUCH TROUBLE!" she screeched and ran after him.


	17. Pop goes the Kangaroo!

Jack was leaning over a balcony, watching Val making something.

He blew on his hand, forming a perfect snowball. This, he explained to North later grudgingly, is how it started.

Val grinned to herself, mirroring Jack's "run and hide now" expression. Jack aimed at her head.

"Jack?" she called. "Do you want to know what I'm making?"

Jack – pun intended- froze.

"It's a bit like a paintball gun. It shoots something else, though."

She turned slowly. And trained the nozzle on Jack.

She sniggered. Jack had never heard something so scary in his life. Not even Pitch's laugh could match at that moment.

"It shoots magic, Snowflake."

Jack squeaked something that sounded quite like help and threw the snowball. It hit her face with a splat.

She shot at him and he felt himself change.

"Pay back!" she said, hugging a small, white kitten.

North stormed in an hour later to find her playing with the kitten, which looked quite terrified.

She fixed a collar round its neck. "I think I'll call you Jack, after him!" she said aloud.

_**Oh, yeah. If you apologise, I might turn you back.**_

_No way! Turn me back NOW!_

_**NO WAY.**_ She shut down her telepathic conversation to find North glaring into the middle distance.

"What's up?"

"I cannot find Jack. I found his staff." North produced it and the kitten leapt near it.

"Oh, no! Poor Jack! And to think I just named this kitten after him! Where do you think he is?"

North looked at her in suspicion. She looked up at him. "Jack is my best friend and he never goes anywhere without his staff! He must have dropped it if something happened to him!" She burst into tears and North looked at her.

"Valentina? Do you know something?" He looked at the kitten and put two and two together.

"VALENTINA LUNANOFF! TURN HIM BACK RIGHT NOW!" Val stuck her tongue out and Jack turned into Jack, the collar falling off.

"He was going to hit me with a snowball! I just magicked him!" Val argued.

"Not just! You turned him into kitten!"

She muttered and Jack blushed completely red and hit her with a snowball.

"What did you say?"

She grinned at North. "He makes a cute kitten!"

"Stop this! Ever since you started meeting up with Bran, you have been… dreadfully mischievous. I cannot allow it!"

She looked wide eyed at North "It's because Bran expects me to behave that I have to prank Jack!"

"If you and Jack must prank each other, make it official prank war. Or team up on someone."

North grinned at them. "Bunny is not busy at the moment."

Val looked at Jack. "We do need something to top pink snow…"

"But should we?" Jack tipped his head on one side.

Val regretfully shook her head. "However, we could visit the Warren. We're in North's way."

Bunny was asleep when they found him.

"Aww! He's so cute when he's asleep!" whispered Val and reached out towards Bunny's ears.

"Don't. We're here on a… Val?" Val fell into Jack and he scooted backwards. He looked at her. She was snoring.

"Not Sandy. What's going on here?"

Bunny woke up. "Jack? How are ya, mate?"

He noticed Valentina asleep on the ground. "What's up with her?"

Jack looked at him in a panicked manner. "It's not Sandy! She just fell asleep suddenly!"

Bunny looked at Jack, and suddenly clapped a paw over his mouth. "Uh-oh."

"Why uh-oh?"

"I was asleep, too, wasn't I, ya dill?" He pointed to the ground. "Do not move. Actually, float. Right now."

Jack floated and looked down. Several roses were in a clump where his feet had been.

"They, mate, are a special type of rose. I forgot this is where I grew them. They're for desperate situations. To keep a bit a hope. That things will be better! These are just seedlings I forgot about. Your little Val must have trodden on them. You froze one or two, see?"

"But Val's wearing shoes!"

"First I've heard of it." Aster pointed to Val, who was wearing socks.

She shifted about suddenly and frowned. Aster picked her up, and cradled her like a kid. "Ain't she cute when she's not talking, mate?"

She suddenly gasped and woke up.

"What? Whazzamatter?" Aster set her back on her feet and grinned.

"Why are you two here anyway?"

Val pouted. "We're underfoot." She made a small gesture and a giant bubble floated towards the rabbit from the river of dye.

_Pop._

"GET OUTTA HERE! RACK OFF!" The newly multi-coloured Easter Bunny was furious.

Jack picked Val up and ran for it, both of them giggling at the prank.

"Did you see Cottontail's face?" Val snickered into his shoulder before falling asleep.

Jack patted her head. "Of course. Good little Val."

She woke up and snickered again. "Who's next?"


	18. Bonding time

Jack and Bran stared at each other.

"So," Jack muttered "you are not her boyfriend?"

Bran blushed grey. "Wish I was, but no." He clapped his hands over his mouth and checked the corridors as Jack laughed.

"She's asleep. She said bonding time would do us both good. So what's with 'I wish I was'?" He raised an eyebrow and Bran went very grey indeed. "I like her. But she doesn't like me that way at all."

Jack grinned at him. "You go grey when you blush."

"Dude! Stop making me blush!" Bran mumbled and Jack grinned. "So if she doesn't like you, who does she like?"

"I'm Pitch's son, not Cupid. How am I meant to know?" Bran said and did something Val sometimes did, slipping effortlessly into another language.

"Nid wyf yn gwybod! Mae hi nid yn unig ddim yn hoffi i mi y ffordd honno!" Jack blinked at him as he carried on. "Rydym yn ffrindiau, ie. Ffrindiau yn unig. Mae hi'n casáu pan fyddwch yn tynnu coes hi am y peth - beth? Pam rydych yn syllu arna i fel 'na?"

"Dude, you are not speaking English right now." Bran looked at him and cussed. "Sorry. That's why I don't like being embarrassed!"

Jack sighed. "What did you say?"

"Just don't tease her about it! She goes off and destroys things by accident afterwards. Jack, I saved up for that music player. It got broken when she got upset! She disassembled it after you upset her!"

Jack sighed. "Fine. I won't say you're her boyfriend. I promise. Now, do you want a snowball fight or not?"

Val woke up to the sound of Jack and Bran having a snowball fight outside.

"Hey! Don't put nightmares in the snowballs!"

"Well, stop making the snow hit me from behind!"

She turned towards her bed and peered under it. Pitch looked at her.

"Why are you stalking your own son?"

"I'm keeping an eye on him."

"He can hold his own." Pitch grimaced at her and she giggled at him.

"They are wondering who you like."

Val looked at him oddly. "Why are they wondering about that?"

"Because Jack thinks you like my son. Bran did say you were only friends."

"Which is true. Also, at present, I have no crush whatsoever."

"Is that so?"

"Yup." She wrinkled her nose up. "Why would Jack think I like Bran that way?"

Pitch appeared behind her. "Because he considers your outings to be dates."

"Ugh." She stood up and went to the balcony, waving a finger idly. Jack slipped and landed on his butt.

"HA! The lord of Winter, tripped!" Bran yelled, and a volley of snowballs hit Jack in the face.

"Argh! Pax! I'll tell your girlfriend!" Jack shot a burst of icy magic towards Bran, who dodged it.

"Not my girlfriend!"

Val giggled and they looked up. "Why do you think you slipped up, Jack?" She stuck her tongue out and Jack threw a snowball in her direction.

It grew legs and walked onto her hand. "What's that? You want to go back to Daddy? Okay, little guy!"

She threw it at Jack and he spluttered, as Bran laughed with Val.

Pitch snorted and hid from Bran, disappearing in the shadows like melting sunlight.

Jack flew up. "That was not fair! That was cheating!"

She shrugged. "I don't think it was. Anyway, get out of here. I have to change into actual clothes that aren't pyjamas."

Jack dropped and walked back into the Pole.

"Stupid Val." He caught Bran's jacket and dragged him into the pole.

He stopped short and dropped Bran (the reason for a week of nightmares he would later have) and sniffed.

"What is that?"

A gorgeous smell was invading his nose. It came from the kitchen and Jack ran towards it. Bran sped after him. He opened the kitchen's new door and gaped.

The kitchen was a bit of a mess.

And Val was in the middle, cooking what looked to be scrambled eggs.

Jack's mouth watered at the sight of three plates set out. She took the frying pan off the stove and dished out the eggs, opened a packet of salmon and set forks and knives on the respective plates.

"Hi, Bran, Jack!" she trilled at them. Jack gulped.

"Since when do you cook?"

"Since I lived on my own, genius!" she snorted. She pulled another plate out and dished up the rest of the eggs, with extra pepper.

"North! Eggs are ready!"

"Bring them here!" She sighed and laid the smoked salmon on North's plate.

"I hope you like them, you ungrateful little beasts." She grinned at them and winked. "And I know what you were talking about, by the way!"

Frost covered Jack's face and he blushed blue. Bran blushed grey.

"Eat up!" she grinned.

Her face darkened happily. "If you trust me not to put something in the food that is."

Jack whimpered and Bran hesitated, fork halfway to mouth.

She swept off and Jack pulled his hoodie over his head.

"We never mention that conversation again. _Ever._"

Bran nodded and ate a bit of the food.

"It's okay." That said, the boys tucked in and ate happily.

North ate up the food. "Why do elves not bother us?" he asked Val.

"I sent them to the Warren. I asked Cottontail first."

"I assume he does not know what you are cooking?"

"Like he would? I hope to hide the mess before the little pests come back."

She grinned and skipped out of the room.

"Jack's washing up!" she hollered and dropped her plate in the kitchen. Jack groaned and she grinned at him. "Oh yes, you are washing up, just for the girlfriend thing."


	19. We're Trapping (and Val's Crushing)

Jack was watching Pitch warily. He'd come here to play paintball with Bran, and somehow the conversation had gone Valwards.

"You're sure?"

"She told me she has no crush."

"Good. That's good. Isn't it, Bran?" Bran face palmed. "Okay, why are you doing that?"

"I'm going welsh so you don't kill me, but ydych yn gweithredu fel merch hormonaidd." Bran said bluntly. Pitch snorted.

"What did you say?"

"Never telling you. Why are you acting like this to that? Look, she might have lied to Dad. We can either watch her, or get bombarded by Cupid. Who always hugs you and asks you to stand with an apple on your head."

Jack remembered, shivering. "It's just, she's a teenager, and she's saying she doesn't have a crush? Not normal. And I might get brownie points for finding out and be left alone next Valentine's day."

Bran looked at him. "Even my dad, the nightmare king, thinks that's evil of you. Right Dad?"

"I am just pleased you no longer call me Father and have switched to Dad," Pitch sighed.

He looked at Jack. "However, invading her privacy for your benefit… if I think that's evil, you should consider stopping right there."

Jack snorted at them. "Wind, take me home!"

Bunnymund's PoV (two days afterwards)

The little Sheila had come to my Warren.

I wasn't unhappy about it, but I did wonder (seeing as the last time she came she ran away just as quickly) why she was here.

"Stop thinking about it! I don't want to discuss it." She was glaring at a sentry egg.

"I shouldn't even be here. I made scramblies the other day." I felt a little chill go down my spine.

"No! Val!" She didn't look me in the eye. I felt tears pouring down my face and she sniffled a little.

"S'okay. They weren't mine." I mumbled.

After she apologised, I looked at her. "Mind telling me why you're here?"

"Jack thinks I have a crush on someone and he's trying to find out to get brownie points with Cupid. Who, even though I'm his godchild, thinks I ought to have a boyfriend."

Poor little ankle biter. I patted her shoulders. "Well, do ya?" She shook her head a little.

"I don't have a crush, I don't have a boyfriend, and I came here because it's a matter of time before I turn Jack into a cheesecake and give him to the baby Tooths."

I chuckled.

"Why me? Sandy's a good advice giver."

She looked at me. "Cottontail, I'm a sixteen year old girl (biologically) and you're a cute little rabbit and I'm upset. Plus, your little sentries are the cutest things _ever._"

I had an idea. A splendid idea.

"Do you know the Fool?" She looked up at me, puzzled.

"Joker is up for anything. Let's pretend to the others Joker is the one you have a crush on."

Her grin widened and she smiled at me. "And then what?"

"We ask him to pretend he has a crush on you and teach bloody Frostbite a thing or two."

Val laughed out loud. "It's alright, Bunny. I've though up a splendid idea that's better than that. We're going to teach him all about crushes. If your godchild asked to borrow your weapon, you'd say yes, wouldn't you?"

I blinked and realized what she was up to.

"You're going to – but who is Jack going to see?"

"I don't know. Maybe, ooh, l don't know, a certain spooky spirit?"

Bonzer idea.

And back to third person PoV!

Cupid was in Paris, watching over a young couple. "Mon ami, you must believe in your love! It is a fine and gorgeous thing to be young."

"What do you know about being young, Cupid?" A flutter of wings and Valentina dropped down beside him. Cupid gasped and Val motioned towards a rooftop. They flew in silence until they got there.

He hugged her. "My little Valenteen!" (How he pronounced it.) "I have not seen you in a year! You are taller! You're going to break hearts in February!"

She sniffed. "No, I'm not." She smiled dazzlingly at him. "I came to ask if I could possibly borrow an arrow or two."

Cupid blinked. "Who are you planning to shoot?"

"The bachelor of Breezes! I'm going to ask Hallow to help me. She's up for anything."

She sighed a little. "Jack has been trying to find out who I have a crush on," she explained "so I thought I would teach him with a prank."

Cupid giggled. "Ah, but you do not have a crush! Very well. I shall hand them over! Be warned, they very rarely have the desired effect. The term _misfiring _applies to those, Valentina."

She tipped her head on one side and he ruffled her hair. "Tell me all the details!"

She giggled and hugged him, before taking off. She dropped to the ground and tapped with her staff.

"Woohoo!" _I love the tunnels! _It was like a rollercoaster made awesome.

She crashed in the warren, holding the horrible, crush making arrows above her head. "I got them! I got them!" Someone laughed and snatched them from her grasp.

"Oh, these are perfect! You haven't even scratched yourself with them. They still have their full power! Mr Frosty is going to see Hallow in a whole new light!"

A boy with purple hair was examining the arrows and laughing. He dropped them and seized Val by her arms. "Sorry! I just was thinking how gorgeous they'll be for a prank. Wow! It'll be awesome!"

She stared into his deep blue eyes. "I got two, but we only, um, need , um ,one."

He set her on her feet. "Miss Lunanoff! You're offering me one? I think you might just be my new best friend."

"Oh. Okay. You're Joker, right? I, uh, need to go. Right now. But, hey, we're friends and-"

Joker looked at the arrow and grinned at her. "Okay."

He swiftly hugged her and Valentina squeaked.

"I'll call Hallow. Set up the arrow prank! Can I come watch?"

Val prayed for words to actually enter her mouth.

"Yeah, sure, if you want!" She hit the ground with her staff.

Joker smiled and waved as she disappeared and grinned at the arrow.

"I can't wait to use this!"

Val dropped in at the Pole and breathed out slowly.

_What on earth is wrong with me?_

_Symptoms, Brain? _She rewound the scene and made a mental list.

_Stuttering, blushes, thoughts of cuteness…_

Oh no.

She had a crush on the spirit of April Fool's.


	20. Jack Is Not Nice-Let's Find Nightlight!

_She hadn't been scratched by the arrow. So it was probably outside influence. _She mentally cussed and facepalmed. Never tell Cupid of all people that you don't have a crush.

She gulped and picked up her staff.

"Bunny?" A little hologram of him appeared and he yelped.

"Is Hallow ready?" Bunny grinned. "Yep! She's talking to Jack. Are you in position? They're in the main Hall!"

She picked up the bow and notched the arrow.

"Hello!" chirped the one voice she was praying against hearing from her ear.

She jumped and steadied the arrow, aiming for Jack. "Don't creep up on me!"

The arrow flew from the bow, and Jack gasped. Hallow gasped, asking if he was okay.

Jack stared into her eyes, and blushed. He jumped up and ran away. Hallow turned and winked at Joker and Val.

Joker touched her shoulder. "You have excellent aim!" He was killing himself laughing at Jack's reaction.

"R-runs in the family. Dad aims moonbeams to talk to the Guardians." She blushed crimson and Joker frowned. "Hey, you have a fever! We better get you to the med room."

"I'm just a little warm! I got to go… um, find someone."

"Who? I 'll help you!"

"N-no! I'm fine!" She fled and Hallow giggled loudly. "Ooh, who have you got to find?"

She turned around and said the only thing she could say.

"Don't tell the others, but I lied. I'm meeting up with my boyfriend."

Hallow was shocked. Nothing compared to Joker. "You have a boyfriend?"

"I didn't want Jack to find out. Got to go! Very busy."

She ran away, floating through a window.

"Hallow?" Joker looked a little sad. "Did you know?"

"Huh. I don't think she's telling the truth. She just wanted to get away. And she knows I know that. Why?"

"Nothing. She is acting quite weird." Hallow pulled on Joker's arm. "Come on, Purple. Let's go play a joke on North."

"Nah."

"Come with me, and play a joke. Cheer yourself up!" They headed off.

Val landed in the snow.

"Your black hair, your little laugh,

I can't imagine

Life without you,

Your blue eyes,

You are so very very beautiful,"

She got up and giggled a little. "Jack, that is the worst song ever!"

Blue eyes suddenly appeared.

"I think I'm in love with Hallow."

"Well, you might want to check your back. I stuck a cupid arrow in you." Jack pulled the arrow out and blushed.

"Oh. Now, I see Hallow as a friend. Why, Miss Lunanoff!" He imitated Joker and Val sniffled a little.

"I hate having Cupid as a godparent. He's given me the worst present ever."

Jack looked at her. "Did you tell Cupid you didn't have a crush?"

"Oh yeah. I don't know how he did it. Usually, I'd hug someone like Joker. I-"

She stopped and cussed. "That bloody git! He coated the arrows!"

She stood up and raced towards the Pole. "I need an antidote. He must be crazy!"

Jack raced after her. "Why?"

"I knew he'd pull something like this!"

She pulled out a vial from her hands. Jack gulped.

"What? I really need an antidote!"

She drank it and breathed out. "I'm okay! Hallelujah!"

"No more Joker crush?"

"No more anything crush! Next time I see him, I'll make sure Tooth has to visit."

"No crush whatsoever?"

"Jack, this whole prank was because you acted like an idiot about whether or not I did have a crush. Resulting in a false crush on Hallow for you and a false crush on Joker for me! Why do you even care about my crushes which, by the way, are completely my business?" She glared at him and Jack threw his hands in the air.

"Why do I even care? Because you make all the wrong decisions! Joker would prank you!"

She snorted. "So because of a solution that caused me to like whoever I saw first, you think I make wrong decisions? What if it was you, huh?"

"But it wasn't!"

She raised the snow up and a mini avalanche covered him. He dug his way out.

"What if it was? The potion would have worn off, eventually, but if it was you that I had seen, would it still be a stupid decision?"

Jack gaped at her. "I don't believe this!"

She started to cry. "I don't make a lot of wrong decisions, but don't you dare, Jack! Don't you dare interfere with this or I swear I will fly away and never come back! Go annoy someone else about their private life!"

"I, you think I'm doing this to annoy you?"

"You stormed in on me and Bran, and called it a date! You scoffed about the fact that I had a false crush on Joker like it was my fault, like I'd decided, and you tried to find out if I had a crush to get yourself brownie points! What are you going to do next, shove me into a bar and yell 'up for grabs' to get a date with a waitress? Honestly!" She sniffed a little. Jack bit back a retort.

"This is why I don't mess with other people, okay? They don't leave me alone! Even my father doesn't respect my privacy!" Val clenched her fists and yelled at him.

"At least you grew up knowing how to act around people! I had to learn, but all you did was invade my secrets! You just fell in a lake and you protected your sister!"

Jack snarled at her. "Leave me out of your little tantrum. At least when I became immortal to protect someone I didn't make a hash of it! I didn't kill them!"

She gasped. "You…you dare to say that? To my face? Why not go to Pitch and discuss it behind my back, or aren't you man enough?"

Jack slapped her.

Hallow raced towards them.

"You think you can say whatever you want because you're the Princess? Yeah right! We were fine before you came along, the Guardians! At least I'm a proper spirit, and I know who both my parents are! We didn't ask to babysit you! I didn't ask to have a silly little girl hang around like a puppy that wants to savage us all!"

She clutched her cheek. "I didn't ask to be babysat! You think you're so damn awesome because you're Jack Frost? It took you three hundred years to get one believer! I'm not even a proper Princess. I only want to be on my own. I don't want any of this!"

Jack gritted his teeth. "Then go! Take your stupid weapons and go! We'll all be happier! Able to concentrate! Not worry about where you've gone. I'll tell the others and we'll finally have some peace."

She glared at him. "Yeah. Peace, with a cold little Justin Bieber wannabe?"

Hallow reached them. "Guys, stop it!"

"Leave it Hallow! We're safer without her around. As long as we protect her, we're not safe. She kills anyone who protects her! Didn't you know?" he growled.

Hallow turned to Val, horrified. How could Jack say that?

"He's right. Stay away!" Val shouted. Tears dripped down her chin and splashed to the ground. "So go on. Be the little boy wonder. Angst yourself out!" She spread her wings and flew away.

Hallow looked at Jack. "Well done, Jack. Really. Let me applaud your dumbassness."

"What the hell's your problem Hallow? She did kill her last protector."

"Yeah, did she? On purpose?" Hallow asked in a whisper.

"He did try to kill that little brat first. I would if I were him!" Jack snarled. "She'll be back, Hallow."

"Will you tell the others?" Hallow asked.

"Yeah. That the madam had a tantrum!" Hallow looked at him and spat in the snow. "I can't believe you Jack! She was hurt by what you said. And you know it! For all you know, she could be in trouble right now!"

"She wants me to respect her wants, and she wants to be left alone, okay Hallow?" Jack felt uncomfortable.

"Whatever. Just grow _up, _Jack."

Hallow disappeared and a mini blizzard raged as Jack screamed outside. Joker had watched the entire thing from the window.

"Hallow? Are you there?" She snorted. "Of course."

"How lonely do you think she is?"

"As lonely as only a Lunanoff can be. That lonely."

They looked into the sky and Joker sighed. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know. None of my ghosts have found her."

"I wish Nightlight were still here."

North pulled spaghetti from his hair. "I found you! Where is Val?"

Two guilty teenage glances assured North that all was not well. He frowned. "What happened?"

"She had a huge fight with Jack. Jack said she had killed someone – is that true?"

North hung his head, and nodded. "By accident. Because her powers reversed a spell she had cast to keep him from dying of a wound. It made her immortal."

Hallow looked murderous. She glanced outside and a ghostling punched Jack in the stomach.

"Is Nightlight still here, North?"

North looked up. "What?"

"If I think about who she needs… all I can think is Nightlight. Nightlight would help her. I don't think she's happy, and I think she's lonely."

North sighed. "I think she might be lonely, but her father's friend? Why?"

_**Jack, you have hurt my daughter! North, where is she? I can't find her! Where is she?!**_

"Manny, calm down. Jack seems to like your daughter very much. That is why he is upset when she talks about crushes."

Joker whistled as Hallow glared at him. "I knew you knew something I didn't."

North reassured MiM from a window. "We are going to find Nightlight. That will make Valentina happy, I think. She has been lonely from the beginning."

"Might she also be searching for her mom?" Hallow asked.

_**Possible. I had a talk with Cupid. Her mother is someone all of you know. I would hope so, anyway.**_

"Who?"

_**Maria Gras. Patron spirit of Mardi Gras, Guardian of Festivity. A lost Guardian who I fell in love with.**_

"Where is Maria?"

_**Mexico. I assume so anyway. She likes Mexico a lot.**_

"I'll go find her." Hallow disappeared and North went to get Jack.

Jack was curled up, crying ever so gently.

"I'm sorry. She just- and I just- I'm sorry."

"You will be sorry. When you find her and apologise. Jack, what did you say to her?"

"That we didn't want her. That I didn't want her around, and that she was dangerous. That she couldn't protect people. That people can't see her. That she isn't properly a spirit."

Jack raised his head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No. You should not have. Never." North looked at Jack. "You know what it is to be alone. How would you feel if the ones you loved had left you alone? If your mother had abandoned you, and the only person you knew aside from the moon and was someone you loved dearly had been killed by _you_? If every person you met either tried to kill you or didn't see you? If the first proper family you had said they didn't want you in the first place, and if the person you loved above all others had turned their back because you didn't want them to find out that they were the one you liked? If they told you that they didn't feel safe around you, feared you would kill them, and told you to leave them. How would you feel, Jack Frost? Would you feel like living?"

"No. I'd feel…dead. Inside. And lonely." Jack looked up at North. "She can't feel like that. Not all the time."

"Now she does. Even when here, she was lonely. We will find Maria and Nightlight, but you will find Valentina."


	21. I Like Her, Nightlight A lot

**Songs: I want to Hear what you Have got to Say by the subways, I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift, I Miss You by Blink182. I own NOTHING apart from Val, Joker, Hallow and Maria. Read to City Of Lions Shining Star.**

Jack was flying everywhere. Searching air pressure for anything like Valentina, searching the ground, and basically, nada. Nothing had come up.

"Where are you?" he asked. "Val, where are you?"

He heard something and turned to see a little globe, like a bubble of silver. He saw something inside it.

"How can your dad not see this?" His hand passed through it, and he screamed.

"What did you do to yourself? What did you do?"

He stuck his head inside and saw her still as a statue, curled up.

He couldn't touch her. It was like she was a ghost. He started to sob. "It's all my fault. Come back. You can't go away! You might not like me, but there's North and Joker, Bran, Hallow, Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, your dad, your mom now too, and heck, even Pitch! You can come back. I know you can. I just know you're listening. I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to hurt the way I was hurting, and that wasn't fair."

She didn't move and he cried even louder, bent double with tears. "I want you to come back, okay?"

He was flung out of the bubble and he knew she was in there.

He coughed. "Alright. Listen, if I'm Justin Bieber, I'm good at singing." He launched into a song and belted it out. "My mind is all made up, I'm doing all I can/I'm trying hard to think but I can't understand/Why every time I see you/You just walk away/And still the world is turning/I will not complain…"

He saw her twitch and sobbed again. "Come on, Val, you can do it!"

"My head is spinning round, I don't know what to do/If I'm so happy, I've got everything to lose/And every time I see you/I can't stand to say/And now it's always raining/You're the one to blame…"

"Once upon a time a few mistakes ago/I was in your sights, you got me alone/You found me, you found me, you found me/I guess you didn't care, and I guess I liked that/And when I fell hard you took a step back/Without me, without me, without me/And he's long gone when he's next to me/And I realize the blame is on me." The bubble vibrated with the sound and Jack cried and cried with happiness.

He cleared his throat. "Hello there the angel from my nightmare/The shadow in the background of the morgue/The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley/We can live like Jack and Sally if we want/Where you can always find me/And we'll have Halloween on Christmas/And in the night we'll wish this never ends/We'll wish this never ends."

"I know that's one of your favourites! Okay is music what you want to hear?"

The bubble vibrated a little and Jack pressed his ear against it. "…I need somebody and always/This sick strange darkness/Comes creeping on so haunting every time/And as I stared I counted/The Webs from all the spiders/Catching things and eating their insides/Like indecision to call you/and hear your voice of treason," Jack pressed his hands against the bubble and sang "Will you come home and stop the pain tonight/Stop this pain tonight!"

He saw her now, face streaked with tears. She sang. "Don't waste your time on me."

He grimaced. "You're already/The voice inside my head. I was an idiot not to realise how lonely you were!"

The bubble broke and Val was sobbing into his jacket with her arms around his neck. He held her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm sorry! Jack, I'm so sorry!" He held her tightly and breathed in.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?" He buried his nose in her hair.

"I'm so sorry."

"Stupid bambi eyes!" He looked away for a minute.

"What do you mean?" Big grey eyes looked up at him.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder and a glowing figure stood in front of them. He waved a staff about and Val's wings spread out. She broke away from Jack and breathed out. "Nightlight."

She hugged the boy, who lifted her hair with the end of his staff, in a curious manner. He drew a '?' with his staff.

"Um, Val, is this really Nightlight?" The boy was thinner than Jack, with sticking up hair. He nodded at Jack in a friendly manner. She released him and flitted between Jack and Nightlight.

"I'm okay, now, I mean. I'm not going to be lonely, but everyone wants you to be back at the Pole. Truly, Nightlight! And I won't be lonely with everyone around me as long as we're happy." Nightlight hugged her, and rubbed at her head. She giggled. "What are you doing?"

She was shining like a star, and giggling, her hair turning from black to silver like ink draining out of paper, and Jack smiled. "What are you doing?"

She smiled, and glowed at him. "Don't you know? I'm shining. I've got my glow on, Jack!" She hugged him, and Jack smiled at her.

"What did you do?"

Nightlight bit his lip and wrote _Faded on purpose, and made sure she didn't believe in herself, almost killing herself._

Jack crushed her in a hug. "M'sorry."

She flickered a little and gulped for air. "…my…ribs…"

Jack smiled again and without thinking kissed her smack on the lips. After a while, they broke apart and stared at each other.

Nightlight flew behind Jack. The Princess? Kissed by Jack? Unforgivable.

He clubbed Jack and said winter sprite dropped like a stone.

"JACK!" Valentina dropped after him and caught him.

"Man, you weigh a bit!" She kissed his lips and he woke up, groaning slightly and rubbing his head.

"What's up with _him?" _Jack muttered, nodding to a furious Nightlight.

_Don't you dare kiss the Princess! _He wrote, and shook his staff at Jack.

Val glanced at Jack. "Um, I'd say he doesn't like you kissing me."

Jack smacked his palm against his forehead. "But I like her! A lot!" He slipped his arm around Val, who looked very pleased and surprised. Nightlight raised his staff, and dropped it when Val reached up and kissed Jack on his cheek.

Nightlight, having retrieved his staff, started to cry a little.

"Oh, no! We made him cry!"

Jack snorted. "You made him cry, you mean."

Val patted Nightlight's head and he wrote with his staff _I suppose he is the Prince of Winter. I don't have to like you kissing him, though, do I?_

"Of course not!" She hugged him, and glowed bright as a candle. Jack glared a little.

Oh yes, thought Nightlight, he likes her.

He picked Val up and handed her to Jack. That ought to do it. He pointed to the Pole.

"Let's go, _Princess._" Jack snorted a little. Val just blushed.

**Hands up who saw this coming!**


	22. Descriptions

Just a quick description of how my characters look:

**Joker**

Hair: Purple and shoulder length.

Eyes: Really dark blue. Like night sky.

Clothes: Chessboard pattern black and white trousers, half red half yellow tee shirt and the stereotypical boots.

Personality: Pulls pranks on everyone, no exceptions. Likes candy and zebras.

Best friends: Jack, Hallow, and recently Val.

**Hallow**

Hair: Black and very long, like Val's.

Eyes: Blue-grey.

Clothes: Witch's hat, cloak, black dress and little black ballet slippers (liberated from a ballet theatre).

Personality: Up for any joke, if it can be considered scary. Likes candy, ghost stories, and sneaking up on people. And playing pranks on North (because he reacts by screaming random names.) Likes cats and panthers.

Best friends: Joker and Sandy.

**Val**

Hair: Long, and black (but sometimes silver)

Eyes: Grey

Clothes: It depends, but usually a t-shirt or hoodie with a Pokémon or anime slits for the wings. Oh, and black jeans, and converses.

Personality: Lonely at times, but a genius at thinking up pranks, loves flying and sweets. Likes kittens and always has a back-up plan. Likes weapons, making her scarier than Hallow.

Best friends: Joker, Bran, and Jack.


	23. Evil is Back In Black

Jack had returned with Nightlight and Val, and a big bump on his head. Val was holding frozen peas against it.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" shrieked North.

Nightlight edged towards the door.

"Stop right there, Mister!" Val glared at him and Nightlight sighed and sat back down.

_He kissed the Princess, _Nightlight wrote sulkily.

"Nightlight hit me on the back of my head!" Jack muttered. "The little pest didn't like me kissing Val and clobbered me!"

North's eyebrows went way up. "Are you two a couple then?"

Val blushed bright red and Nightlight huffed.

"Uh, yeah!" Jack snorted.

"Good! You have realised and will no longer pull pranks on each other?"

"We never said that." Jack tapped the floor but Val was way ahead of him. She flew into the air, followed by Nightlight. Jack snorted as North slipped about. "JACK!"

"Whoops! So should we run now or later?" Jack grabbed Val by the waist and flew upwards.

"Don't go!" Hallow appeared, dragging a woman behind her. "Don't you want to meet your mom?"

Jack swooped down and Val stared at the woman, grey eyes meeting green. She was dressed in purple, green and gold. She cupped Val's chin in her hand.

"Valentina. You've grown up."

Her black hair was braided with gold rings and purple ribbons. She arched an eyebrow at Jack. "Young man, please put my daughter down."

"No, I'd really rather not." Jack hugged Val, who looked a bit torn, and began to glow.

"Um, I'd like to stay aloft, mom." Maria Gras looked at her daughter and smiled.

"You look so much like your father. I trust you have discovered the seal? It was broken a short while ago."

"When I glowed. When I glow, the seal breaks a little. I know." She smiled at her mother and Maria Gras looked at her again.

"I trust you know I could not take care of you because of my duties."

"You were the one that sealed him." The guardians (except Jack) looked puzzled.

"Yes. I thought he might be punished that way."

"Of all the stupid ideas!" Val grimaced and Maria pouted. Jack burst out laughing. That was genetic, then!

"Don't ask who we're talking about, Guardians." Maria sniffed and turned her nose up.

North glared. "You are a Guardian."

She shrugged and smiled. "I don't think I'm much of a guardian." Nightlight glared at her. "Oh, do try not to be jealous of me, Nightlight. It's terribly unbecoming."

Nightlight smiled at her, and wrote something with his staff.

"Oh dear. Wherever did you pick up that kind of language?"

Valentina giggled and Jack put her down, and landed beside her. She ran across, hugging Nightlight and reassuring him, ruffling his hair.

Jack frowned and Maria snickered. "Get used to that. She will see Nightlight as a child, and constantly make sure he isn't unhappy. I think she might, anyway."

Jack groaned. "Why?"

"Let's just say it's a Lunanoff thing." Maria stared at him and tied a streamer into his hair.

"I have to go now. Give my regards to Tooth – she always is so colourful at the festivities."

She disappeared in a cloud of confetti. Val looked at the pieces of paper and arched one eyebrow. "Honestly. She might have said goodbye."

Nightlight wrote in the air. _Good riddance._

"Nightlight!"

North huffed a little. "So, what do we do now?"

The palace rumbled and North paled. "Had to ask!"

A grey cloud formed, and clouded the globe, static crackling.

"**I have come for my due. I have bargained to come back. I will take silver blood as my payment."**

Valentina gulped and Nightlight and Jack moved closer to her. North made a fist.

"Who are you?"

"**I am Fabian Du Noir. I have waited long to see the Moonling's blood spilled. I shall see her dead.**"

"Buddy, from what I heard, you're the one who's dead!" Jack shouted.

"**She killed me.**" The cloud started to form and Val shot a blast of white magic into it.

"You started it by trying to kill me!" she hissed. "At least my misdeed was an accident."

"**I might as well finish. But first I will destroy what you care about. I will reduce you to a wreck.**"

A hand reached out and she drew the paintball gun.

"Gentlemen, it looks like we might have a not actually dead evil on our hands."

"**Jack Frost? Why, when did he become a guardian? And Nightlight. How noble of you to come back to protect his daughter.**" The voice of Fabian mocked them and North snatched down a sword.

"Go away from here! You shall not hurt anyone!"

Black lightning snaked towards him, only to be stopped by Val telekinetically.

"**How noble. But how long can you keep it up?**" More lightning poured towards them, stopping, while Val grimaced.

"I can keep this up forever."

"**Let's see you do it.**" She snarled and the lightning was pushed back towards the cloud, which howled and disappeared.

"He's back in black, then," Val murmured and Jack stared at her. "What? It's just something you say when someone evil comes back to life."

"We didn't say it when Pitch came! We missed out!" Jack cried out in shock. She laughed a little.

She moved forwards and fell suddenly. "Ah, I'm just dizzy, I'm okay."

Jack, catching her, looked at North. "What's wrong with her?"

"She stopped lightning from frying me and caught it. I should think she needs rest. Especially when she cast the transparency spell, as Nightlight told me she had."

"I'm fine, North." She looked up at Jack.

"You have a streamer in your hair."


	24. Commencing Battle

**For some reason, someone thought I made North sound German. Not my intention, Josh. Sorry, but I am awful at accents! Please… read and review!**

**Thanks to Lady Minuialwen for being so nice about the new chapter! **

**French:** **Sorry, petal, you have to run home now! Run, and don't look back.**

Jack frowned. "What's that?" Valentina looked up and sighed slightly. "It's a spell. A spell that tracks Fabian. He wants to wreck my life, so he might target people I care about. Like Jamie."

Jack felt cold chills go down his spine. Jamie might get hurt because a guy had managed to come back from the dead. Valentina stood up when she saw his face and took hold of his hands. "Don't you dare, Jack, to think I haven't put every measure in place to make sure everyone's safe. That magic I shot at him means he can't go near the United States, never mind Burgess." Jack looked up in surprise, and noticed Val looked ever so slightly scary.

"If he hurts any child, I will kill him. Last time was an accident. If he hurts any child, I will kill him without a thought."

She leaned her head against Jack's shoulder. "And if he hurts you in any way, I will slaughter him, bring him back and kill him painfully. There will be no place he can hide from me if he so much as scratches you."

Jack stroked her head and patted her hand. "I know, Val. If he tries to hurt _you, _I will cause a second Ice Age, and freeze him until he is gone. I swear."

Val snickered, and tapped his nose. "I know you do. I heard you when you stubbed your toe the other day."

"Val! I was trying to say something really meaningful!" Jack huffed and pulled his hands away.

She smiled and winked at him. "I'd say that you have. I just couldn't stop myself from sarcasm." Jack grinned at her and linked his arm through hers.

"Let's go and annoy Pitch. It'll be-"

"Fun." Val finished. "Which of us is flying there?"

"Both?" Jack pulled a 'duh' face. Val wrinkled her nose and ran to the window, opening it and flinging herself out. Jack jumped out of the window, giving chase.

"So, what are we going to do there?" Jack shouted over the noise of the wind. Val's wings moved up and down; presumably she was shrugging.

"I don't know. I think I'll sneak into the control room and check the Globe of Fear. It should show where Fabian is. We could always stick everything upside down again, but that's a bit cliché. I could release a giant ferret, but I'd have to keep it."

Jack waved his hands and a little flurry swept past them. "We could make an origami crane fly about."

"Hmm. I'm slightly more concerned about Fabian. We don't know where he's gone, and Pitch will. We can pull pranks on Fabian in battle, but we need to talk to Pitch right now, because he knows about Fabian. Things I don't. Like his past."

Jack threw his hands in the air and dropped like a stone. Val instinctively folded in her wings and dived after him. "Jack!"

He laughed and floated back upwards. She floated mid-air, and stuck her chin in the air. "That wasn't funny."

He made a face and pointed to a cave. "Reckon that's an entrance?"

She closed her eyes for a minute, and nodded. "Pitch's thoughts are like mine, a little. That means I can track them easily. Also, Bran's stood in the cave."

They swooped into the cave and Bran scowled at them. "What? I wasn't doing a single thing to spoil anyone's fun."

Valentina hugged him. "Don't be like that. We need to talk to Pitch. Please, Raven?"

Bran smiled at them suddenly. "He did say you'd be coming."

She arched her eyebrow. "Gah. He's just a bit… annoyingly right sometimes."

Jack patted her head. "Everyone is. At times."

She caught his hand and giggled. "Oh? Are you?"

Jack blushed blue. "Um, er, sometimes." She looked at him. "Well, yeah." She still didn't let go of his hand and Bran appeared. "Are you two coming?"

"Yes." Val let go of Jack's hand and Bran touched the ground at their feet. Shadows clung to Val and then grabbed Jack, dragging them through the floor (an unpleasant experience) and dropping them in front of Pitch. Jack gripped his staff and stood up, helping Val up as he went.

"Have you heard?" Val asked the Nightmare King.

Pitch closed his eyes and nodded. "I have heard of Fabian Du Noir. He was worse than I was in his time. He attacked Hallow at one time, near killing her. She could not defend herself. He was known in the spirit world and human world as an evil person."

"You've heard he's come back. So where is he?" She looked at Pitch and he blinked slowly.

"Ireland. Fear is flooding from there, images of grey clouds and a man with black eyes." Val clutched at Jack. "Should we go after him?"

Pitch snorted. "Children are being threatened, you know. I can't scare them if they are being scared by a vengeful spirit."

Valentina looked downwards. "Jack, go and tell North. I am going to France for a spell."

Jack grabbed her hands. "Pitch, send us outside."

Pitch waved his hands. Jack crushed Val in a hug, and they landed outside.

"Are you nuts? What if the spell reverses? The one that makes you immortal?"

"It's a permanent one." She looked at him. "I'm not crazy, Jack. I have to do this."

"What if you die?" He held her close. "I can't lose you."

"You won't." She kissed him, and broke away after a while. "I promise you won't lose me." She flew into the sky, and Jack held back tears.

"The sooner I get to the Pole, the sooner she has backup." He tried to convince himself with this as he flew to the Pole. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't, and wished Val would be okay.

Valentina landed in Lille, and headed for the terrified mental screaming. Fabian stood in front of a shop, holding a child by the neck.

"I thought your new friends were coming. I have to say I can't blame them for abandoning you, seeing as it's all your fault." He sneered. He was exactly like she remembered. Blond hair, tunic, cloak, and now an ugly sneer.

_The Fabian I knew had brown eyes. _She repeated this in her head and leapt at him. She sliced at his arms with a sword held in one hand, catching the child with her other arm.

"Désolé, pétale, vous avez à courir à la maison maintenant! Exécuter, et ne regarde pas en arrière."

The child coughed and breathed in, running away quickly.

"Oh, how sweet! Saving the child and condemning yourself." Fabian mocked her. "Your lover left you all alone, then?"

She stabbed his leg and he howled.

"You'll pay for that!"

She snickered, while her mind planned. "You ought to have been paying attention." Fabian growled and slapped her, slicing her cheek.

"Don't think you're so great." He grabbed her hand and gripped tightly, intending clearly to break it. She kicked him low down and he folded over.

"You're weak, Fabian!" Not that he was. Only when his rage against her overtook his better judgement. He leapt for her and a small dagger sunk into her arm. She cried out, and pulled the paintball gun out, plastering him with pink and green.

"OUCH! You little – I'll kill you. I will kill you and your little troupe of misfits!"

She flicked her wrist and a bin emptied on his head. She put the sword away, and stuck the paintball gun in her belt.

Clapping her hands, she breathed out slowly. Holding the staff, she smiled at Fabian.

"Come on if you think you're hard enough."


	25. Keeping Vigil

She flew through the air, slamming into the side of a building, and heard a rib crack. Damn. She sprang upwards – that hurt so much! – and grinned, taunting Fabian.

"You're getting old. I didn't even get grazed by that." Fabian howled and leapt for her in pure livid rage, and Valentina deflected him easily. Thank God for invincible magic weapons. She shot a burst of magic towards him.

"Tortoise!" He ducked and a rock got a whole new life, before Fabian threw it in the air, and the crack of its shell made her scream. He grinned, and caught her arm.

"You're next, baby Lunanoff. Daddy can't protect you. Jack can't help you. Nightlight is so far away." Smoke formed a hammer, which crashed into her side, and she coughed, and almost choked as she felt bile rise in her throat. She whipped his own knife out of her arm and stabbed him with it.

"Don't you dare threaten the people I love. You do that and your life is over!" she screamed, glowing fully, a blast of white magic erupting and throwing Fabian backwards. He hissed and leapt forwards, intending to rip her open for that, when ice crystals held him in place. A sword hit his back and something wooden bounced of his head. Someone broke his nose, and sand lashed his back.

Fabian disappeared, knowing his best chance was to run, with no hope of defeating the Guardians. He tried to escape into the shadows, when one held him by the throat.

"Tsk, tsk. Very bad of you. I think some sort of suspended animation will do." Pitch breathed on Fabian's face, and he thrashed about, but completely comatose. Sandy gave Pitch the thumbs up.

"Sanderson, do not. I am evil. I don't do thumbs up." Pitch snorted and disappeared with Fabian.

Jack cradled Val's head. "Are you okay?"

"Got what he wanted… I'm bleeding. But… fine really." Val passed out and Tooth ran her hands over her ribs.

"One of them is broken. Another is cracked. And she just passed out from blood loss." Tooth's voice trembled and she blinked away tears. Jack froze the wounds and stroked his girlfriend's hair. He started to cry, the tears freezing and falling like diamonds onto Val's cloak. Bunny touched his shoulder.

"Let Tooth carry her, Jack."

"No. I won't leave her." He picked her up gently and flew off.

Pitch broke the man's neck. His rage was unmatched at that point. How dare something so vile even touch Valentina? A little girl he had watched grow up, in the company of the other Fabian. He snarled and Fabian's shell disintegrated, leaving behind an empty set of clothes, that burst into flames.

Nightlight cleared his throat and Pitch jumped.

"Don't look at me like that. You would have." Nightlight nodded slowly and Pitch sighed. "How sad. It makes it no easier. She will know when she wakes up, that this is what I've done."

Nightlight nodded and gave a huge sigh. He scribbled in the air. _She'll understand. _He patted Pitch's back and started the journey back to the North Pole.

He saw some crows circling and frowned. What were they doing? He darted forward and tried a shooing motion, when he suddenly caught sight of a ribbon wrapped around the leg of one of them. He'd seen it in a picture of Valentina that hung in the hallway of the Lunanoff ship. They were keeping vigil.

He petted the crow slightly and it cawed at him. A burst of snow exploded from one of the windows and he swooped down. Jack was sat by a bed, where a pale, almost deathly so, Valentina lay, breathing slightly, but otherwise asleep.

Jack was still holding her hand. Bunny was in a corner, muttering and sniffling. North just watched, as did Sandy. Tooth was letting tears drip down her cheeks.

"She did it to save a child." North finally spoke and he turned to the others. "She risked everything to protect everyone. She saw her duty, and she kept Jack from harm. She took on someone who was ten times as powerful as Pitch. That is bravery."

Tooth gulped and Nightlight drew a candle in the air, and an arrow. Sandy nodded. North nodded. "We will go. You keep watch." Jack watched them as they filed out of the room.

"I'm here, pigeon. I won't leave you. I swear."


	26. By My Side All The Time

Valentina Lunanoff was brave.

Valentina Lunanoff gave her blood to save a child.

But now she was in the infirmary at the Pole, whispered the gossips among the spirit world, and while the menace was dead for a second time, destroyed by the raging Bogeyman, she was in a dangerously fragile state. She had attacked Fabian Du Noir, for crying out loud, a Black Eyed Being of terrifying strength, because he had dared attack a child.

Her father had not contacted the Guardians.

But the most important thing…

…was that there was no winter anywhere apart from the Poles.

Jack Frost was evidently by her side.

Jack held Val's hand as he slept. He hadn't moved, and Nightlight stood guard outside the door. He woke up suddenly.

"…'s okay?" Someone's voice whispered.

Valentina's eyelids fluttered.

"Is Jack… okay?"

"Val, hey! Hey, you're okay! I'm okay! Everyone's okay!" He sobbed with relief and kissed her, breaking away to dance around the room.

He hugged her and she screamed. "Son of a freaking b –mmf!"

He put a hand over her mouth. "What?" Holy cow, what was wrong?

"Brmmkmn rmmg!" He released her. "Excuse me?"

"I have a freaking broken rib, Jack!" She hugged him and started to cry, and Jack hugged her carefully. She was really sobbing and Jack froze a tear, curious.

"When you cry, there are these little sparkles. That is so cool."

A dark shadow materialised and Bran fell out of it.

"Val, you're awake? I can't believe you're okay!"

He suddenly blushed and ran out of the room. Val looked at what she was wearing.

"Who dressed me in pyjamas?" Val asked. She had stopped crying and looked quite dangerous.

"Tooth. And the yetis. But I haven't been anywhere. I stayed here and…" She was crying again.

"What now?" He laughed and a snowflake touched her nose.

"All the while? You stayed with me?"

She took his hand and he understood, sort of.

"Of course I would! Even if you never woke up. I promise." He touched the air and a little cat made of snow landed on her lap.

"Nightlight will be ecstatic. I'll go tell North that you're awake." Jack brushed her cheek and left. Seconds later, her friend came rushing in writing and drawing.

"Okay, buddy! I missed you too. How long was I out?"

Nightlight wavered. _Two weeks._

"Oh my God! Jack didn't leave me for two whole weeks? And you didn't leave the door either…"

She trailed off.

"Pitch killed him, didn't he? Why would he do that?" Nightlight shrugged.

_Perhaps he does have a fondness for you. Both you and Jack hold a place in his dark heart, and I would know._

She got up slowly, wincing and Nightlight ran towards her, panicking.

"It's okay, Nightlight! I was just getting up to try and walk towards you!" She hugged him and he started to cry.

"Shush, sh, sh." She held him as he cried and smiled.

"I do hope you didn't think he could hurt me! There now, it's okay! I won, okay? He can't hurt me again!" Nightlight sniffled and North burst into the room.

"Valentina! You are awake!" He plucked her out of Nightlight's arms and crushed her in a bear hug. She shrieked and actually passed out. Jack, having followed North, screamed and Nightlight drew a rib in the air.

"Oh. Of course."

"Of course? What the hell is with you? Broken rib. Broken rib, North!" Jack shouted at him. North handed her carefully to Jack, who woke her up.

"Woah. Spinning much? At least if this rib heals I know who can break the others."

Jack held his hands up. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three? No, five."

Jack glared at North while holding up his little finger. "Look at what you did, Father Crushmas!"

Val laughed a little. "Ow! Hurts…" She put her hands together and used the staff as a lever to stand up. "I'm fine. Just let me…" She pointed the staff towards herself.

"_Repair."_

There was one of those nasty scraping sounds as the rib repaired itself, and a bit of brick flung itself out of the wound.

"Oh. That explains so much." Valentina grinned and hugged Jack. "All better!" Jack's snow cat came out of the corner and she ruffled its fur. Jack grinned and picked the bit of brick up. "Seriously?"

Suddenly Val rushed to the window and gave a piercing whistle, and dozens of crows poured into the room. She giggled. "I'm fine now, see?" The crows squawked and flapped about before disappearing through the same window. Jack frowned. "Crows?"

"I happen to be friends with some, yes." She unfolded her wings and Nightlight picked the splinters of wood out of the feathers. Jack held her hand while she winced.

"Did Pitch come?"

Jack frowned at this. "No. He didn't come at all. He said he was busy."

Val raised an eyebrow. "He was, huh. Tooth?"

"She helped the yetis, but had to go as soon as you were in a stable state."

She tipped her head. "Sandy made sure I had nice dreams, I know that, but what about Kangaroo?"

"He ran off after week one. We should actually tell him you've woken up."

"I see. Did Bran come by?" Jack nodded. "He cried every time. Which was, let me tell you, really depressing. When I was trying not to, I mean."

"I'm glad Fabian's gone, Jack. He can't hurt any of you. And I'm so glad." Jack ruffled her hair and smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

North patted Jack on the back. "Now you have to go and spread winter. People won't believe in you if you don't!" Jack stopped and ran to the window. "Got to go, Val!" Val laughed and shooed him away.

"I think I'll go visit Jamie. I haven't seen him for a bit! It's been, what, five months?" Nightlight nodded and Val swooped down the corridor, causing a hullabaloo.

"LET'S GO SEE JAMIE! SORRY PHIL! AND HALLOW, I'LL GO SEE HALLOW! WHOOPS! SORRY LITTLE GUY!" Crashes and very odd sounds echoed down to the infirmary and North covered his eyes. Silence descended as Val evidently swooped out of the window. The sound of yetis grumbling and crying made North growl and Nightlight ran after her, quickly evading North.

He saw Phil out cold on the floor and mentally cursed the Lunanoff Princess for her clumsiness. An elf was stuck to the wall, and somehow apples were everywhere. He bit his lip and dived out of the window, following his Princess and only just catching up with her. He sent a moonbeam to tap her on the nose and she snickered.

"I swear, it was an accident."

_Maybe you should have stayed in the infirmary then._

"No way. Jamie will be pleased to see me!" She swooped towards a mountain, and Nightlight followed hesitantly.

When they eventually came to Burgess, she swooped and caught Jamie by his shoulders. "Hey, Jamie Jay! How are you?"

Jamie whooped and giggled. "Val! I haven't seen you in absolutely ages! Or Jack!"

Val came down to earth and sat him on her lap. "Well, me and Nightlight are here to say hi and tell you about the news. I battled this evil guy and Pitch killed him for hurting me, Jack and me are…"

She trailed off. "We like each other."

Jamie nodded. "Who was the evil guy?"

Val grinned.

"His name was Fabian Du Noir, and he used to take care of me. He was a fighter, when human and he became a black soul."

Val's tale of her mentor, friend and eventual enemy drifted over the treetops. Nightlight, flying above them shook his head. Someone needed to be told the rules of bedtime stories.


	27. Thinking Time

Jamie's friends had also gathered around to hear Val tell the stories. Even though darkness was creeping overhead, Val was still telling them stories as Nightlight drifted close by.

"The wolf crept low on his belly and licked his jaws, following Odin and growling. He snarled and leapt, but Odin kept him at bay, never tiring. Suddenly, the Warriors Seven poured into the clearing and the beast yelped. The leader, Jamie, held his spear aloft and hollered, and the wolf leapt snarling away. Odin granted them one wish each in thanks. But they have not yet used it, even now. After the battle, Odin treated them to pizza, and ice cream."

The kids cheered. Nightlight snorted a little. Yes, Val needed to know that Ragnarok was not a suitable story for children.

"Or is it?" Val asked him, on the way to Jamie's house. "Because I always liked it as a child."

Nightlight shuddered and they crept through Jamie's window. His mom had tucked him in, but Jamie had climbed out and fetched a game console of some kind.

"Nuh-uh, Jamie. Back to bed." Jamie whined at this but Val picked him up and tucked him in expertly, and ruffled his hair. Nightlight sprinkled something silver over him and he yawned.

"No fair…" he muttered and snuggled into the covers. Nightlight shrugged and Val giggled. She patted Jamie on the head and Nightlight scribbled in the air.

"That's the spell? For your dreamsand. Alrighty then!" She sang softly, and Nightlight smiled at her.

"_Nightlight, bright light, Sweet dreams I bestow, Sleep tight, all night, forever I will glow." _ Golden dreamsand spiralled into the room and a smallish head appeared at the window.

"Hey, Sandman, aren't you busy?" teased Val, pulling a lock of golden hair. Sandy tapped her leg, pointing to wolf cubs that had appeared in his sand.

"Whoops. My fault." Warriors wielding ice cream spears floated nearby and Nightlight raised an eyebrow.

"Ragnarok is an awesome bedtime story. I told you."

_Only your version._

"The only version I'm willing to tell them." She suddenly jumped out of the window, spiralling downwards before spreading out her wings and swooping up. Her ears were pricked up for the sound of ice cracking she had heard.

"Jack? Where are you?"

A holler answered and she followed it to its source. Jack was at the ice lake. She floated down and heard the call again.

"Jack?"

A cold breeze tugged at her wings and she frowned. "Oh, ha, ha, ha." She flew upwards and Jack snorted as frost formed on her feathers. She glared and chewed her lip.

"What's up?"

Val sighed. "I don't know. I just feel out of place at the moment. And I haven't really had any fun for a bit. It's like for all the time I was asleep my mischief levels went kaboom and decided to say 'hey, are you even here' and just fill my head with things I would love to do. Like paint a smiley face on the pyramids. Or winding string around an entire town. Or annoying Hallow. But I want to start a prank war. Really, I do. Or just do something fun because I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment with the whole hanging out with you guys thing, while not being an actual Guardian."

Jack looked at her. "That's why you're grumpy?"

"I am not grumpy. I simply wish to be something I have earned. I haven't earned the right to hang out with you guys, my father hasn't chosen me, and I don't feel…"

Jack smiled a little. "I get it."

"Sure you do" muttered Val "but I'm going AWOL. Don't tell Nightlight, he'll come and look for me. Well, actually, snowflake, don't tell anyone."

She ruffled his hair and sighed. Jack nodded and tugged at her hand. "So where are you going?"

"Wherever my mind takes me." She spread her wings and Jack hugged her.

"Take care on your vacation."

She grinned. "Who do you think I am? I'm Val. I never take care."

She swooped upwards and Jack blew her a little snowflake on the wind, waiting until she was out of sight to let a tear roll down his face. He knew she had felt out of place for a while now, but why now, when he needed her there? When everyone needed a star to sail by?

He chuckled at that last thought and stared up at the sky. "Okay, old man. Why did you do that? Why did you let her go, when I needed to keep hope and everything?"

The moon was silent as it had ever been.

When he got back to the Pole, North was waiting. "Jack! You are here?"

"Where's Val?" interrupted a soft voice. Hallow was standing there, looking Jack straight in the eye. "Jack, where is Val?" she repeated. Jack turned away.

"She left. She felt out of place. She said not to tell you guys."

North stood up slowly. "She left?"

Jack nodded.

"Did she say…?" Jack kicked out at a passing elf. "No. She didn't say where. I think she doesn't know. She felt out of place here."

"It's because all of you were acknowledged by her father and she hasn't been chosen by him. She wants her father to want her." Hallow sighed and sat down on the floor. "I think that this might be her saying she needs some time alone. I guess that she feels unworthy of all of you. Because you would protect her. And you don't ask anything in return."

Jack looked at Hallow. "She gets lonely so easily. How can I stop that? How can I stop her being so lonely?"

"Jack, don't you get it? She's fine on her own. She isn't lonely, not now. She has all these people who smile for her. But she can't repay them. She can't. She needs time to think. And all of you, these people that she loves, being saved and cared for by her father? Like his children? While she has to deny that she's a Lunanoff to save her life? That's a pretty big thing to think about. You'd feel misplaced." Hallow stood up and looked at both North and Jack. "I'm insightful. I know. But for ten years, she's been alone. It was easier for you, Jack, because you were always alone. She was ripped from a loving atmosphere by the person who was to her a big brother, and then introduced so suddenly to this big loving atmosphere, full of joy and fun and all that jazz. Where her father had created all these people and protected them, leaving them free to protect every single child in the world." Hallow finished.

"And she loves Jack, and I guess she wants to think about that." A smiling Joker came in. "Dude, even I picked up on that. So just don't be a prince this time. Let her save herself. She just needs to think for a bit." Jack snorted and sat down again, huffing.

"Why? She's always doing this. Why is she always doing this?"

North looked thoughtful. "It is a Lunanoff thing. They need a lot of time to think."

/ / / / / / / /

Val was sat on the Empire State building. She found it a good place to think about things.

Why did she feel misplaced with the Guardians?

Because she wasn't one? That was part of it.

No, she couldn't always hang around with the Guardians. If she kept her room at the Pole, that surely would be fine. But what if she had a place of her own?

A home?

The Pole felt like home, yes. But what if she had her own ship?

That looked like a cloud?

And was invisible to humans?

Hell yes. That would be awesome. She grinned and then another thought popped into her head.

What about Jack?

She leant her head against the little spiky bit on top of the building. She didn't know about that. That was complicated.

She did need Jack.

She closed her eyes, and frowned. What was up with this situation? She noticed a small shimmer darting from building to building.

Oh dear. Nightlight had found out. He'd probably found out from Jack, who was absolutely unable to keep a secret. Which was fun at times and all, but not just now.

Val sighed and clapped her hands together, the bright silver staff showing Nightlight where she was.

He nodded and leapt towards her. He shook his head at her.

"Don't." She sighed and a little tear slipped down her cheek.

_Don't what? _Nightlight looked at her sadly and she ruffled his hair. "Don't go."

_Why have you left?_

"Believe me, even I don't know. I just want to think."

_That is fine. Everyone needs to. _Nightlight sat down and hugged her, leaning her against him so she didn't fall off the building, and sprinkling dreamsand over her. She fell asleep and he sighed. He hated seeing someone so bright so sad. She had probably thought up a solution.

He realised that the sigh had woken her up.

"Don't worry. I'm not alone. Far from it." She settled back to sleep, and Nightlight watched her, dreaming of clouds and moths and mice.


	28. Robots, Castles and Misunderstandings

Val woke up and wrinkled her nose. "Why is there a giant horse chasing the kids?"

Nightlight looked down in horror. No horse. He frowned at Val who stuck her tongue out and wriggled out of his arms, spreading her wings out.

"See you then."

Nightlight grabbed her foot. _What are you planning to do?_

"Build a home for myself." She grinned. "Like a cloud, but the cloud bit's just a disguise."

She suddenly heard the wind whistle in the way it did when there was an incoming Jack and jumped into the air, clutching the staff. She flew at a speed that would have brought tears to Usain Bolt's eyes. Nightlight waved in farewell mere seconds before Jack landed beside him.

"Hey buddy! Who are you waving to?"

Nightlight pointed to a pigeon.

"Why are you waving to a pigeon?" Jack shook his head in a "never mind" way and looked around. "I thought Val might be here."

Nightlight shook his head and drew a little set of bagpipes in the air.

"Scotland? Why would she be in Scotland?" Nightlight shrugged.

"I'll try there. Thanks, Nightlight!" Nightlight felt awful.

Jack headed off and Nightlight bit his lip.

Val, meanwhile, was nearing the Pole, and as soon as she dropped in a yeti grabbed her, hugging her tight.

"Whoa, Harley. Let go!" She wriggled and someone laughed. "Val, you have returned!" North patted her head, and smiled.

She looked up at the big blue eyed giant and sighed. "I came to ask you a favour. You have to help, and you can't tell Jack."

North nodded.

"Help me build my own base. Disguised as a cloud. Complete with robots."

North gaped and then let out a whoop. "We have a new project! I have something new to work on! Yahoo!"

Val grinned. "I will help with the robots if you build the place. It has to be able to fly. But able to disguise itself as a cloud. The robots will be built by me."

"Yes! Shostakovich, we will make you a castle of clouds!" North danced around, as happy as he had ever been.

"Well, North, how do you make robots?" asked Val nervously. "It's probably something like creating the staff, right?"

She picked up a piece of metal as she spoke, and Jack flew into the room. "Val's not in Scotland! I don't know where she is!"

Val waved slowly.

"There you are!" Jack hugged her, silently swearing at Nightlight and his evasiveness, and thanking MiM that Val was there. "Why are you at the Pole?"

"I am building Val somewhere to live!" announced North happily. "A castle of clouds!"

Jack looked at her. "Was that your idea?"

Val nodded, and her heart fluttered a little. She felt the metal change shape under her fingers, and become humanoid.

"Is that a robot?" Jack asked, snatching it. "It is a robot!"

North looked at her. "How did you do that?"

"Maybe it's linked to my emotions? Other than that I have no clue." Val looked at Jack sideways, in a worried way.

"So that is useful!" North walked through the doors and motioned for the teens to follow him. They followed him, Val walking, Jack floating.

"We will create a castle, but now you have robot, I will make myself. Jack can give us the magic for the cloud cover." Jack nodded and a beep sounded by Val's feet. She picked the robot up and cradled it.

"How do you think I shall take care of this one?" she asked, somewhat amused by its appearance. It had blue feet and little mechanical wings. She touched the round nose and the robot beeped again. Jack laughed. It looked quite odd.

"Going to help Princess."

Val looked at the robot. It repeated the phrase and she squealed and hugged it closely. Jack yanked the robot out of her arms. "IT ISN'T A BABY." He held the robot by its head and ice started to form on the floor. He dropped the robot and glared at it.

Val looked up at him and started to cry. "But, but, Jack, why are you angry?"

North turned back and picked the robot up. He sat it on his shoulders. Jack hugged Val's shoulders. "I'm not that angry…"

She shrugged him off and he gaped.

"You are! You're acting brattish!" She glared at him and wiped her eyes, flouncing after North.

Jack smacked his forehead. "I'm not acting brattish!"

Val stuck her tongue out and Jack huffed at her. "Me brattish? I don't run away every chance I get!"

Val glared again. "Oh yeah? You sure about that? You are so, so, jealous! So you hurt people if they don't pay attention to you!"

"No, I don't!" shouted Jack. North came in between them.

"ENOUGH!"

Val looked at him. "I'd be grateful if you made the base. Right now, though, I think I'd better show myself out. The atmosphere is overwhelming with its jealousy!"

She stormed away and Jack threw a burst of frost magic after her, which zinged back to him, freezing his hair.

North raised his eyebrows. "That did not go well."

Jack glared at him and North clapped him on the back. "When women invent things by magical or scientific means, what they create is always their baby. If you harm the creation, you fully deserve all retribution. I think that you need to apologise quickly if you do not want her to be as angry as hornet's house."

"Nest. It's hornet's nest, North. And she is already that mad. I'm an immortal. She's an immortal. I'll wait until she apologises for calling me a brat." Jack muttered.

"You will be waiting a long time." North looked at the door Val had gone through. "She is angry and she never really apologises."

Jack snorted. "Huh."

North shook him by his shoulders. "Val will not forgive you!" Tears dropped from North's eyes. "She will never like you again!"

Jack looked at him.

"She will go out with Bran and marry him!" North sobbed.

That was it. Jack gave a yelp. "Val! Come back! Don't marry Bran!" He rushed outside and found her waiting by the door smugly.

"Are you sorry?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Yes! I'm sorry! Don't marry Bran!"

She gulped. "What in the – What did North say to you?" She smiled at him, and gave a little giggle. "Jack! Why would you think that?"

"You will, because I was mean to you!" Jack was nearly in tears.

She ruffled his hair. "You can't be serious!" She hugged him and he cried into her hair.

"Come on, Frost. Let's go somewhere else. Coffee sound good to you?"

Jack looked sideways at her then laughed. "Yeah. Yeah, coffee sounds awesome."


	29. On Edge

Val was very easy to upset, reflected Jack. He'd thought back on the robot incident as he was watching his girlfriend fight with Bran, which happened often.

"Can't you fight, daddy's boy?" shouted Val, leaping in the air and throwing a punch that Bran just managed to avoid by rolling away.

He'd upset her a lot. But she forgave him a lot too.

He shook the thought out of his head and watched the fight, which Val had said would help her get into shape again (i.e. the dreadfully scary ass kicking creature she was) and Bran had agreed to help.

"Oh, I can fight, little Princess. But can you take the challenge?" Bran snickered, making the mistake of standing still for a split second. She punched the back of his head and he dropped.

"Unarmed combat is good to go!" she yelled at Jack happily.

A shadow leant over Jack. "Did I mention this is a bad idea?" Pitch grumbled. Jack fought the urge to club him with the staff and nodded. Pitch sighed. "Ah well. If Bran wishes to get hurt, it isn't within my power to stop it."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, right." He watched Bran try to kick Val and be flipped on his back. "You just let him do this because you want him to learn how to actually fight."

Pitch wrinkled his nose at him. Jack screeched in surprise.

"So that's your weakness."

"That was creepy." Jack glared at Pitch. "Please don't copy my girlfriend's mannerisms. In fact, why is the bogeyman copying a teenage girl's mannerisms? Why?" He swallowed the urge to hit Pitch.

Pitch glared at him. "Just watch the fight, Jack. If she was a Guardian, would I have managed to nearly topple the Lunanoff Empire? Of course, she can't be a Guardian. But…"

"Pitch, drop it! Go creep out someone else. You're creepy."

"I'm the Nightmare King. I do as I please." Nightlight was floating beside him and suddenly attempted to whack Pitch with his staff.

"Dude!" Jack grabbed Nightlight and tackled him to the ground. Val looked up and saw what was happening. She was there in a second.

"Pitch, what the hell is your problem?" She grabbed his ear and pulled him down to her level. "Play nice."

He growled and shook her off. "Don't touch me."

"Don't be a pansy." She turned to Jack and Nightlight. "And you have what to say for yourself?"

They looked up and hugged each other in fear. Val was glaring down at them.

"Do you know what? Go ahead. Attack each other. I don't give a damn. But you can take care of each other, all three of you, because I am done with this. If you don't stop, I am going to hang each of you from the globe by your hair." She looked at Pitch. "And don't think I don't know who started this."

She stalked off and Fang rose worriedly from the snow.

"What's her problem?" grumbled Jack, brushing snow off his shirt. He stared in a worried manner, and Pitch glared at him. "I believe that's your fault. I did nothing. You started fighting Nightlight." Nightlight frowned and shrugged, waving a fist at Pitch.

Val was sitting on one of the outcrops. Looking in the sky, trying to reach her dad.

"I have to say, you are being a bit odd. I'm talking to you. You talk to the others. You protect the kids. You don't talk to me."

She held her staff in her hands. "You fell in love with Mom. She had me, and you looked after me. I've got this great big family, but by your hands. So I think when my home is ready, you have to come to tea."

She grinned and suddenly her eyes seemed darker. "And you can explain yourself."

She looked up as a little moonbeam hit the side of her seating place. "Nightlight?"

He appeared and she grinned at him. "I'm here buddy. You just settle down now."

She sighed and fell asleep. The snow woke her up and she curled herself up. Nightlight frowned at her, and checked her temperature.

She woke up. "What in the name of all that's sacred to my happiness are you doing?"

He drew a little thermometer in the air. She looked at him.

"There is nothing wrong with me aside from accidental immortality."

Nightlight threw his hands in the air.

Pitch appeared behind her. "Valentina."

She screamed and clubbed him with her staff, spun and kicked him. Pitch gulped for air and looked at her oddly.

"Calm down, Miss Lunanoff." Val breathed out slowly.

"Sorry." She turned and found Fang waiting for her.

"So what just happened?" asked Bran, appearing suddenly.

"I'm just kind of tired. I guess." She closed her eyes again.

Her wings ripped through her shirt and she sighed. "And that keeps happening."

Pitch snorted and disappeared. Bran stayed. "I wonder why?"

"I don't know. It's annoying." Nightlight patted her head.

But she knew exactly why she was falling asleep. Her father needed to speak to her.

**Please review! I hope you enjoyed that!**


	30. The Reaper and Me

**Please review, please! It would be brilliant if you did!**

**I own nothing except my own characters! And the castle of clouds when it's finished.**

**North: Shostakovich! I cannot work faster!**

**Rapunzel: Okay, sorry.**

**Please enjoy!**

Valentina's PoV

I landed on the floor and went to sleep straight away. My dream took over, and I was standing in a place with shining hallways.

"Father?" I called, almost afraid.

A small man with a kind face appeared.

"Well, child, you appear to be taller than me." I leant down and hugged him, crying.

"I'm so sorry! I swear, if I had known, I would never have…" He wiped my tears away and smiled.

"Valentina, don't be absurd. It was not your fault."

I stood up.

"Father, tell me. Who helped Fabian return? Who wants my blood?"

MiM sighed. "It would be against these rules to tell you. You must know how much I need you to obey the rules, dear heart. This isn't a game, but if it was, it would be a game of chess where the king was isolated and hoping the knight could withstand all the attacks, as he couldn't reach him."

I widened my eyes. "Oh."

"And the chessboard must be kept from it, along with the rook, the other knights and the bishop."

"What piece would attack the knight?"

MiM – no, Father, laughed, sadly. "The Queen, who else? But with a queen comes a prince, yes? If the queen is gone, who else would take her place?"

I frowned. "I'll think on it. Father, I swear to you I'll protect everyone."

"That makes two of us." He patted my hand, and the dream dissolved.

**No PoV (Third person)**

Jack was looking for Val, calling for her.

"Val?"

"Jack…"

He headed in the direction of the voice, finding himself at the library.

"Hey, Val, what are you doing?" He found her reading the books.

"Dad talked to me. Properly. He made me fall asleep."

"Right." Jack looked at her. "So why did he do that?"

Val dropped down, landing next to him. "Because someone is out for my blood. Apparently a Queen of some sort."

"A queen?"

"Or her son." Suddenly the bookcase near them was surrounded by shadowy figures.

"What's that?" Val asked. Her heart hammered in her chest and Jack spun around, gripping his staff.

One of the spectres stepped forward. "Now you know, what reason is there to hold back?"

He gave the bookcase an almighty push, and it fell towards them. Val opened her mouth to scream, hands holding the staff, and cast a spell. The book case hung in mid-air.

Jack dashed towards her and hugged her. "Who the hell are those guys?"

"Exactly. They're ghosts."

She looked at a book that had landed on a page showing a boy with a scythe.

"The Prince of the Dead. Dear Lord above. The actual reaper is after me."

Jack choked and held her closer. "Tell him he can…"

Val put her hand over his mouth. "You are a Guardian. I don't think you can swear."

"Oh, yeah? Who says?" Jack mumbled through her hand. The ghosts hissed at her discovery. She readied a spell in her hand.

"Now I know you know we cannot fight here. Take it from the top, gentlemen?"

They howled, and she threw the spell at them. It burned them.

"Take that, you little creeps."

She turned to Jack. "See? I can totally protect myself."

Jack looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She removed her hand.

"You are so careless. Why would the Reaper be after you?"

"Uh, a little incident five years ago. Apparently he doesn't like being thrown through windows."

Jack looked at her for a few minutes before speaking.

"Do I want to know why you threw the Grim Reaper through a window?"

She shook her head silently.

"Suddenly the falling bookcase makes a lot more sense."

They picked up the books and put them back. Jack sighed. "Why'd you have to pick a fight with the Reaper?"

"He tried to kill me. It was quite upsetting."

"He what?" Jack frowned.

"Well, he doesn't like me. But he needs my blood to forge a new scythe apparently."

Jack smacked his head. "To forge a scythe. Really? That's why he tried to kill you?"

"It's complicated and I will kick his ass if he tries to get my blood. He should have asked nicely!"

She huffed and Jack steered her towards the door.

"Let's go to Australia and get you some ice cream."

She nodded. "Let's."

She kissed Jack on the nose and squeaked a little at the cold.

"Oh, sorry, Val!" Jack hugged her. "Are you okay?"

A shadow creature that had escaped the burning watched them. This was definitely interesting. The lord of winter was with the little Lunanoff princess?

As they disappeared, it thought to itself. Master Grim needed the Lunanoff girl's blood urgently. The Lord of Winter, however, would definitely follow her if she was kidnapped.

If Master Grim needed her blood, he should have asked nicely, concluded the ghost. But the little princess would not have given him her blood anyway.

The ghost felt its Master calling it back. It would tell him. Yes. That would cheer him up extremely well. He had been sulking since his defeat.

….

"The Opera House is an awesome place." Val leaned her head against Jack's shoulder and sighed.

She looked at the ice cream in her hand. "Maple syrup ice cream. Life is nice sometimes."

She nibbled at the ice cream, wincing when Jack just bit chunks of his off.

"Dude. I know you don't feel cold but just eat normally!"

Jack looked up with ice cream all over his nose. "What? Why?"

She chuckled and produced a compact from a pocket. He looked in it and burst out laughing.

She wiped at his nose with a napkin. "Hold still."

She dabbed around his mouth, and Jack breathed out, trying not to fidget.

"Hey, Val?"

"Yeah?" She finished and stuffed the napkin in her pocket.

"Are you happier now you've talked with him?" He gestured at the sky.

She considered the question carefully. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. I think I'm happiest with you though, even if Father is my family and everything. With everyone else, I'm just this immortal kid, and I'm happy, don't get me wrong. But with you, I'm happy every moment. Because I love you, and even if bad things are happening, you're there."

Jack looked at her. "Really?"

"Truly." She smiled at him warmly. He felt himself blushing.

"Then why do you run away sometimes?"

She wrinkled her nose up. "Just to think. Everyone is important though, Jack. To me, you are the most important thing. Which is probably why I'm not sitting up watching from the sky. I couldn't leave you, and my father knows that. But he said you couldn't be involved with Grim attacking me. Neither could anyone else."

Jack glared. "Why? I want to protect you."

"Then be safe and protect my heart from being broken. Grim is the one who can kill you. He could, Jack. He wouldn't. But if he threatens you, I won't be able to stop myself. He'll have that new scythe he wants. I can't lose you."

"And I can't lose you. If he hurts you, he'll end up a reapersicle."

She snickered and tugged at his hand. "Don't get hurt, and I promise you I won't."

Jack smiled and pointed at her ice cream. "Okay, but it's dripping down your hand."

She squeaked and cleaned it up, and turned her attention back to the ice cream.

Jack wrapped an arm around her, a grin slipping across his face.

_I want this moment to last for ever._


	31. Grim Attacks

A Goth boy reclined on a throne, and laughed suddenly as a ghost whispered to him.

"That is a joke. Miss Silverlight is to be mine, mine alone. The little Elemental doesn't stand a chance." Swaying forms surrounded him like smoke.

He stood up.

"I think this should be made clear to him. Oh, but the little Princess? She'll pay ever so dearly for this. I'll break her soul. And then, she'll be mine."

Nightlight shivered suddenly as a chill crept over him. He rushed over to Valentina just as storm clouds started to gather.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She suddenly felt it. The chill came creeping towards her, and long dead minds flowed into her consciousness, overwhelming her. She shook and Nightlight held her, praying Jack would come quickly.

Jack was at that moment outside, unable to open the doors. The yetis, to their horror, found themselves unable to get near them. Ghostly forms barred the way.

"Jack!" shouted North. "Go and fetch Pitch! He may be able to help us!"

Jack sent a blast of cold towards the doors. "I won't leave Val!"

Val struggled to stand, and managed to make her way towards the door. "I'll come with you… Jack, can you hear me?"

Jack pressed his hands against the door. "Yes! Val, what's happening?"

She spread her hands out and the ghosts recoiled long enough for her to hurl herself against the door, and she burned through, and ran to Jack. "It's happening, Jack, my head, my head hurts!"

Jack saw Nightlight surge forward and through the ghosts reach the door, and suddenly the boy was there, fighting them off. Jack harrumphed.

"Why can't I do that?"

Val snarled suddenly, and then whimpered. Her face twisted before being normal again. "Need to get to Pitch. Jack, they're possessing me! There are too many… we need to…"

She dropped to the floor, screaming out loud.

Jack looked on in horror, before gathering her up in his arms and flying into the air. "Sweetie, it's okay. I promise it's all going to be okay."

He stroked her head, remembering the day before and gritting his teeth. Someone had hurt her deeply, and he was going to freeze for this. He was going to pay.

"_Can hear your thoughts. Such a great power." _Val grinned at him and Jack nearly threw up. It wasn't her, it was another person, or people, who were using her, and hurting her. This grin was like a snake's, and it showed her little white teeth fully.

"Get out. Now." He glared down and the person gave a little laugh. It reminded him of Pitch dancing across the globe, hurting because they found it fun.

"_Can't make us. You are helpless. We break her. She will be a scythe. Her soul will be broken, and we shall forge the weapon." _They stroked Jack's cheek with Val's hand mockingly.

"_Cannot stop us."_ They suddenly jerked and Val drew in big gasps of air, coughing and crying. "Jack, don't leave me. Jack, they're, they're giving me their memories, we need to go to Pitch, and I'll fight for you. I love you! Jack, I love you." She had tears streaming down her face and Jack leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you too, Val. I love you." She shuddered and passed out in his arms and he cradled her.

"Who do you think you are, you reaper? You leave her alone!" he screamed, before a banshee like wail tore through the air. He looked behind him and found ghosts streaming towards him.

Valentina's point of view

I stood suddenly on a battlefield, men screaming death cries around me, the earth layered with bodies and suddenly felt a bullet pass through my heart –

-I fell into the river, gasping for air, water trickling in a torrent down my throat, choking me –

-they lined me up against the wall and shot me-

-I couldn't reach the door; smoke burned my eyes and crept up my dress, blistering my skin-

-I gasped, as the woman left, her poison gripping my stomach-

I struggled as the memories took me over, as I died different ways, emotion churning in me, and felt that fading feeling, the ghosts all showing me how they had died, no happy death among them. I realized they were trying to scare me – and I was frightened. But I was not going to quit, with everything resting on my shoulders, with Jack there. No way was I going to back down.

-they took me like they would take her and they forged a scythe from my blood, only to turn me into a ghost when it didn't work-

I held onto the ghost's mind. _**Who are you?**_

_I am a ghost._

_**Who were you? **_I asked, against the flood of memories.

_I was the Morrigan's daughter; I gave myself to him to forge a weapon. _

_**That was idiotic, how many before you?**_

_None, I was the first, but with you not the last. Your Elemental will die at the hands of my master, and you will be the scythe that kills him._

_**Bitch, please. I am going to kick your master through his own hellfire.**_

_Oh? In this state? You won't be able to defeat our master. He will defeat you._

I seized her mind and broke it, hearing her screams through my own mouth as she fled from me, back to Grim, who was going to pay for what he had tried to do, and had done.

Another ghost reared in my mind with more memories of death. _Let's see how long you can keep it up, _princess.

-End of Valentina's PoV-

Jack heard a high scream, and what looked like a grey crow fled from Val's mouth. He hugged her. "Baby, you're doing fine, I believe you can do this! Just keep it up!"

Her hand curled into a thumbs up and then the snakey person took over.

"_She is one. We are many powerful."_

Jack gave a scary smile. "My beautiful one can kick your many powerful's ass."

It growled at him, and then Val surfaced again, smiling at him. "Hey, Frost, are we there yet?"

Jack spotted the cave he'd found Pitch in, and dodged the ghosts flying behind him to land there.

"Pitch, we need your help!" He found a door and opened it.

"Man, what is it about Pitch and corridors?" Jack asked himself, as he raced to find the Nightmare King.


	32. Oh, Great, Doom Incoming

**Author's note: Sophia Griffin! You were right, Pitch needs… guess what. Yeah, your review made me write all the better!**

Pitch suddenly felt an overwhelming fear flood into the cave. Bran started and glanced over at his father.

"That…"

They suddenly looked towards the door.

"Pitch! Bran! Where are you? Something terrible… where are you? Grim attacked! What's with all these corridors?"

Pitch glowered. He liked corridors. They made him feel like a proper king. Corridors were just badass. He sighed and stood up, Bran quickly following suite.

Jack was running up and down, panicking. Pitch and Bran suddenly came out, and saw Val. She was whimpering and stared unseeing into mid-air.

"She's so scared…" Bran looked as panicked as Jack, while Pitch reached over. "She's possessed."

"Three have gone. She fought them off, but she keeps screaming and crying, and they're hurting her! Pitch, we need you." Jack looked up from Val to gaze at Pitch.

Pitch went still. "Is that so? Well, we need to stop them making her relive their deaths first. I don't know whether I want to help you. And you brought ghosts to my lair."

Jack gave him a look.

"Well, Dad, I don't think he meant to." Bran was pouring nightmare sand on Val, and ghosts were screaming, leaving her body quickly. Pitch clicked his fingers. "Nightmares, surround them. Don't let them escape."

One ghost stepped forward and turned into Grim, leaving the actual ghost gasping on the floor. It was dragged out of the way by its fellows.

"Ha. You still are so blind, Pitchiner. Do you think I cannot kill fear? I who can kill all? And she, your precious Valentina, she will be the scythe that reaps you." He lunged towards her and saw Bran and Jack standing in front of her.

"Oh, sweet. Both in love with someone you can't have."

Jack quickly looked at Bran then glared at Grim. "Don't you think to judge. That happens to be my girlfriend you're talking about." He had his staff in hand and shot frost magic at the Reaper, before shielding Val.

"Baby, I'm going to fight for you now. You just watch." Jack stroked Val's hair.

She opened her eyes. "Not without me you won't." She struggled upwards and grinned, slamming her hands together. "Grim, you are going to have your ass handed to you!" He snarled at her like some animal, and she looked across at Jack, who nodded.

They went either side of him and pure energy started to crackle along the air, hitting Grim badly. "Take that!" Val screamed. "Don't you dare threaten Jack…"

"Or Val!" yelled Jack, ice creeping over Grim as emotion turned to magic and their attacks seemed to resonate, Grim caught in the middle. He tried to move his arm to cut one of them but the globe of magic restrained him.

The two teens moved in a sort of dance shooting magic to the ghosts and Grim in turn. Pitch sent sand washing over the Reaper's feet, Bran following his lead, and Grim fell to his knees growling and a hellhound suddenly stood there. He leapt forward and tried to bite Jack who sent him rocketing backwards with a swing of the staff.

"Hey, Grim!" Val suddenly flung her arm out and laughed as he slammed into the ground, turning into his own self.

"Don't think this is over!" He waved his arms and he disappeared along with his ghosts. Val rushed over to Jack.

"I love you! Oh Jack, you said that!" She kissed his cheek and he went blue with blushing.

"So, um, yes I did… and I do, yes… and you love me?"

"Yes. You are my Frost." Valentina leant on the tip of her toes and kissed his forehead. He cupped her chin in his hands.

They were interrupted when Pitch coughed in a still-here-don't- be- so- sappy-and – lovey –in-front-of-me way.

They blushed and Bran did too, but out of sympathy for his father.

"We have to go back and check on the Pole." Jack couldn't meet the eyes of the Nightmare King, preferring the floor. Val had opted for staring at the ceiling.

Pitch grinned slyly. "I will come with you."

Val held Jack's hand and they disappeared, and Pitch gathered shadows around him, and Bran sighed. "Alright, I'm coming." He stepped into the shadows.

Jack was mildly pleased with what he saw when they arrived. No real damage had been done apart from the door, and the yetis were already repairing while the elves appeared to be sneaking off with cups of eggnog. North caught sight of them and hurried over.

"Jack! Valentina! Pitch! Birdy!"

"It's Bran." He mumbled.

"You are okay! We were all so worried. Phil had to be restrained from coming to help you."

Jack chuckled and Pitch gave a suspicious cough.

"Grim managed to get into the lair, but we all beat him. However, he's down but not out." Val gave North a piercing look. "There was apparently another girl before me who he tried to make into a scythe, but it didn't work." Val finished and her eyes were deadly serious.

"Valentina, I will not let you try and fight against Death himself without my help." North's gentle gaze was firm, and Val sighed. "But it is my father's wish to bring back peace to the spirits. I have to sort this out."

"Val?" Jack gripped her shoulders. "You're not alone. We won't let you be. This is our war just as much as it is yours."

Val looked around at them. "Then let's fight it. I can't stand by and let Grim's power quest destroy what we have all worked hard for, what I have entered to watch over. He cannot harm the people here." She suddenly spotted Nightlight in the arms of a yeti.

"NIGHTLIGHT!" The scream tore out of her throat and she raced over to him. "What happened? North!" She stroked the boy's pale face and Jack was at her side in an instant.

North raised an eyebrow. "He could not calm down. Ve had to sedate him. He only has a few injuries."

"I'll give you sedation…" Val found her mouth covered by Jack, and the yeti patted her shoulder. Nightlight began to stir. She hugged him, and glared at North, who sidled up to Pitch.

"She won't forgive me, vill she?" His Russian accent came out in his worry. Pitch shook his head a small fraction. Nightlight was trying to calm her down and the yeti herded her upstairs. She looked thunderous, and North felt in his belly that retribution would be quick in coming.

Jack and Bran were left alone together.

"Jack. The Morrigan is a dangerous foe and if she gave her daughter, then I have no doubt she's involved in this."

Jack ignored this. It was too typical of Bran to croak out a doom laden message and command Val's attention. He headed upstairs to see what could be done, Nightlight following at a distance.


	33. Of Hairbrushing and Breakfast

**46 reviews! Yay!**

Val was cradling Nightlight's head. She was most definitely in a scary mood.

Nightlight was happily asleep and Phil was staying well back.

"So what's up with her?" Bran was tipping his head to one side and frowning. "She usually just beats the holy hell out of someone then cheers up. Maybe it finally hit home she can't beat up North because of the kids?"

Jack sighed. "Maybe. The yetis aren't all that pleased you keep dropping nightmare sand everywhere."

"It's nearly Christmas, and North said I could stay." Bran glared defensively at Jack.

"I know he did. But you're still trailing sand." Jack knew he was jealous and he didn't like that at all. He looked up and caught Val's eye.

She sighed, motioning him over.

"I can't believe North did that." She glared over at North who sidled out of the room.

"I can't believe you want to harm Father Christmas." Jack ruffled her head and kissed her cheek. She huffed, turning her head into Jack's side.

"He sedated Nightlight! Who saved his butt so many times, by the way." Nightlight was snoring by now and Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Jack, I was only making a point." She muttered into his side for a while and he glomped her into a huge hug all of a sudden. "Do you still like me?"

"What?" She stared up at him, all bambi eyes and innocent looks. "I love you, Jack! And you saved me. You were the one who saved my life. Jack, you saved me from the Grim Reaper himself!"

He smiled and pinched her nose. "You would see it like that."

She wriggled her nose out of his fingers and leaned against him. "Ah, I guess so."

"Nightlight's snoring."

"I know."

/

Val woke up, and frowned. "Pitch?" She stuck her head under the bed and saw Pitch sulking. "Did Bran kick you out?"

The gathering shadow deepened.

"Oh dear. He's rebelling." She bit her lip. "I'll go get changed in the bathroom then."

It was way weird waking up to the Nightmare King sulking underneath your bed. She pulled on the Pokémon tee and shook out her wings.

When she was finished she came into her room holding the hairbrush. Pitch snatched it from her.

"Sit down."

She stared at him. What was he up to? Her mind raced, thinking of ways Pitch could use said hairbrush to attack her.

"I said sit down. Your hair looks dreadful." He pushed her towards a stool, and she sat down partly from shock.

Pitch applied the brush to her hair. "I used to brush my daughter's hair when she was little… I think."

He smiled. "She had black hair rather like yours." Val widened her eyes. Of course. Bran wasn't Pitch's only child. When Pitch had been Kozmotis, he'd had a daughter…

Pitch carried on brushing her hair, and Val squeaked.

"Oh, you have a knot in your hair, here…" He quietly untangled her hair and carried on. She gulped and let him, when the door creaked.

A small noise came from the doorway, as North tried to say something. Valentina stood up and gently, almost apologetically, shut the door in North's face.

"Sit back down. Nicholas will come in anyway." Val obediently sat down and sighed. It was really nice to have her hair be brushed like this. North creaked open the door to watch.

Pitch's expression was concentrated, as though he couldn't allow this to go wrong, that the hair had to be perfect. Finally, he picked a ribbon off of the table and swiftly tied up the hair in a ponytail.

"There. Now you may breakfast." Val stood up and motioned for him to follow. "No. I will come down later."

She sighed and headed to the door. "Come on then, North. Let's go eat."

She gave Pitch a huge smile and he felt shocked to the core. It was a glowing, happy grin, and felt like a blessing of some sort.

He shook his head, retreating underneath the bed to lie there.

"Vhat vas that?" North asked. He clutched Valentina to him. "Vhat did you do to Pitch?"

"Nothing! He just asked if he could brush my hair!" Okay, so that was stretching it a bit. Pitch had brushed her hair without asking.

"He is not… the same. You have something to do with it, I think." North held her shoulders. "We are both like fathers to you, yes?"

Val thought it over. "I guess. In a way, yeah, actually."

She wriggled out of his grasp and grinned, spreading her wings and swooping down the hall.

"COMING THROUGH!" Narrowly missing Phil, she laughed and carried on to breakfast.

North stood there, and laughed, seeing his sort of daughter causing chaos, and realised something at that moment.

"I AM LIKE YOUR FATHER!" He joyously hugged the nearest person, and the yeti struggled to escape.

"Dance with me! She admitted I am like her father!" He swung the poor yeti around and let him go, the yeti finally fleeing as North rushed to his breakfast.

/

"Oh, your hair looks nice!" Jack commented, grinning. "You brush it this morning?"

"No, Pitch did."

Jack choked and spat orange juice. "What?"

Val looked at him. "He brushed my hair. It looks nice. Simple as."

Bran came into the kitchen. "Guys, I'm starving. How about you?"

"Porridge if that's fine with you, Cook." Val shot him a grin and turned back to Jack. "Don't worry about that."

"He tried to hide in my closet last night." Jack made a face at her.

"Well… it's kind of his thing. I guess."

"Yeah, but he actually seemed upset when I made him leave."

"He came to my room, Jack. Why am I everyone's mom all of a sudden? I mean, Nightlight I don't mind, Bran and Pitch I can tolerate. It's still awkward though…"

She trailed off. Jack was staring at her.

"What?"

"Mom? Pitch is treating you… like a mom?" Jack looked horrified.

"Only when his son and you are mean to him. And he's a very strong person, I think he just sulks near me."

Bran tapped Jack's shoulder. "Do you want something for breakfast aside from orange juice?"

"Yeah, man, how about something like toast. Toast would be nice," Jack mumbled absently.

"Okay."

Nightlight appeared and held out a box.

"Pop tarts? I can't do Jack's toast and pop tarts." Nightlight shot Jack a pleading look.

Jack waved a hand in his direction. "I'll have cereal. I mean, dude, they're Cookies & Cream. Can't deny that to anybody."

He stood up and reached for the cupboard, finding gingerbread me. He broke them into pieces and put them into the bowl.

"That is not cereal." Val grinned. Jack was such a kid, even at his age.

"Here you go, Val." Porridge arrived in front of her.

"Thanks."

"Nightlight? Pop tarts are ready."

Nightlight nodded, grabbed them from the toaster and dunked one in the porridge.

"Hey, hey, stop that! That is my breakfast!" Val cried out, horrified by the crumbs of pastry left in her porridge.

Nightlight munched away. What was he meant to do? It tasted nice.

Jack snickered and leant over. "Honey, don't stop his pocket money or anything."

"Not funny, Frostbite." She snatched a piece of ginger bread.

"That's… mine!" Jack stared as she ate it, and glowered when she carried on with her breakfast.

"No. Not anymore."

The elves looked at each other around the teens' feet. Maybe they would leave them alone for a bit. Breakfast in the Pole was a complicated thing.


	34. The Moon Clipper and Card Games

**Author's note: I know Nightlight never sleeps. In the previous chapters it was just sedative, not sleep, and when he napped… it was just that wearing off. I'm holding a poll on my profile about the Christmas party… please, if you're a Blue Exorcist fan also check out my other story.**

Bran knocked on Nightlight's door.

"Can I come in?"

Silence greeted him and he sighed.

"Oh, yeah. You don't speak that much." He opened the door. Nightlight waved at him.

"What are you doing?" A huge piece of paper was spread across the desk in the boy's room.

Nightlight wrote STRATEGY across the top of the paper.

"I see." He looked around the room. The bed was obviously not slept in, and the walls were painted with stars, and a spaceship of some kind. Underneath in curling script it said _The Moon Clipper._

"Oh. This was your home, huh." He looked at Nightlight who merely smiled.

"Were they… as kind as I read they were?" Bran asked nervously.

The glowing boy sighed, nodding. His fingers drummed on the desk, and Bran dropped his head. "My mother… she was a lovely woman. She met Dad and was slightly afraid. But she thought he might be lonely, and then she fell in love with him. She died two years ago, when she was visiting France. She was attacked by someone and he threw her in the Seine after slitting her throat. Dad stuck a Nightmare in his cell. He'll always be afraid and never know why, but it doesn't bring her back."

He felt tears drip down. "Ah, no, sorry, Nightlight. I just came to see if you were alright. Also, I was going to ask you if you knew how to play poker…"

Nightlight fished a tissue out of the desk and handed it to him. Bran wiped his eyes. "Thank you. But I could teach you how to play poker."

Nightlight shook his head in horror.

"Clock Patience?" He quickly laid the cards out and Nightlight watched. "You play it on your own, apparently, but when you play you're trying to beat fate. See? You lose if all the kings appear before you reveal all the cards."

Nightlight blinked as Bran carried on explaining how to play. He slowly turned over one of the cards and placed it where it belonged.

"Hah! That's it." Bran smiled it him.

Nightlight completed two thirds of the clock before all the kings turned up. He frowned.

"Yeah, it's really hard to win." Bran looked at the blank piece of paper. "What's the strategy for?"

Nightlight scrawled. It now read STRATEGY TO DEFEAT GRIM.

"Oh. Why not make a list of your allies and their weaknesses?"

Nightlight nodded as Bran collected up the cards and shuffled them. "I'll see you soon then."

…/…/

Val looked up as she read. Bran and Nightlight each were turning over cards, two circles side by side. She laid down her book.

"They seem to be getting along well." She turned to Baby Tooth. "How much headway are you making with that vampire book?"

Baby Tooth gave a squeak.

"Huh. I guess I should have thought. Well, I did, but no more Shan for you."

Baby Tooth shuddered, and Val got up to be hit by a card casing.

"NO WAY DID YOU WIN! YOU CHEATED!"

A silence that lasted for a while almost echoed.

"OH, LIKE YOU WON FROM LUCK AFTER LOSING FOR AGES!"

Val sighed, and motioned to Baby Tooth. "We better move to the library. The guys are becoming competitive and I don't want my Pullman desecrated in the process."

Nightlight ran after Val, and Bran ran after him. "Come back here! Don't you dare show her!"

Nightlight waved a piece of paper in front of her face and tapped a part of it triumphantly.

"STRATEGY TO DEFEAT GRIM: ALLIES. What are you pointing to? BRAN. Good at fighting but constantly distracted by Val if she's in battle…"

She reached over and flicked Nightlight's nose smartly, and read on.

"VAL: The princess will not listen to anybody. She has a wide range of weapons, however."

She glared at Bran. "You should pay attention." Turning to Nightlight, who was clutching his nose, she frowned. "You shouldn't slip cards out from your socks. I can't believe you cheated. Go back, play properly and for the love of the stars, don't annoy Bran."

She touched the top of Baby's head. "Come on; let's find my favourite Miniature Tooth a book." They headed to the library, leaving Bran chasing Nightlight down the corridor.

Jack was in the library frowning at a book.

"Hey, you! How are you?" Val wrapped her arms around him and he grinned. "I'm just fine. I thought you had a book?"

"Baby Tooth didn't like her book. I'll find her a nice one, don't worry." She disentangled herself, and dropped a kiss on his eyebrow before moving towards the shelves.

"How about 'A Wizard of Earthsea?'" Baby Tooth took it gently from her and flew to where Jack was, flying upwards to turn each page.

Jack put down his own book, and gave her one of those huge grins. "Hey, I could do that for you. I'll read it with you."

Valentina shot a smile in their direction and carried on browsing.

Sometimes it was nice to watch Jack get on with Baby Tooth. He was always so caring, a nice change from herself. She was well aware she rarely thought before acting, and Jack, when he was looking after something, was so careful, usually.

She turned a corner and found Sandy asleep.

"Hey, Sandy!" She reached out and shook his shoulder. "Sandy. Saaaandy."

He woke up with a start and she hugged him. "Oh, hello!"

He made a face at her, and she laughed, releasing him. "Sorry. You really sleep a lot, huh?"

He shook his head.

"Oh, yeah, night shifts. My mistake!" She grinned and pointed towards Jack and Baby Tooth. "Look. Have you ever seen something so adorable?"

Sandy raised an eyebrow and looked at them, and clapped a hand to his mouth, before raising his hands to his cheeks and smiling.

"Yes. Really, it's so cute." She sighed and a wistful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I wonder if I was ever as cute as Baby Tooth when I was little."

Sandy tweaked her nose and she gave him a grin. "I know. But you think every kid is cute. Even Bran, I bet, back when he was heading straight for the dark side."

Sandy nodded and they continued to watch as Jack helped Baby through the book.

The Guardian of Dreams remembered a chubby cheeked girl with black hair asleep in Fabian's arms, dreaming of chasing a huge butterfly over the mountains of the moon, the golden sand weaving over her head. Her cheeks were flushed.

"_Of who I was before, she knows nothing. Our seals are resonating, but mine can't withstand her. I love her as though she were my own daughter. But you know, my sealed self and I are two worlds apart. I don't want her hurt by him."_

The girl shifted slightly and Fabian had smiled and stroked her hair softly. He looked down at her with such a sad expression.

Sandy looked up now at Valentina, who had come so far, lost so much, and still smiled. He reached out and held her hand, and Val jumped. "Oh, hey!"

She leant down and hugged him. "I know what you're thinking about. You met him, and you know I miss him. But I have you now, as part of this family, Jack, Tooth, Bunny, Pitch and everyone. I want you to know that. That you're my family. And my Fabian's alive. As long as I don't forget him."

Sandy patted her back. He knew. And he wished he could speak so he could tell her that she was his family, no matter what happened. Even if the unthinkable happened and she became Grim's scythe.

Jack looked up. "Hey! What's up with you two?"

Val wiped a tear that was sliding down her cheek away. "Just remembering someone."

Jack raised an eyebrow and tipped his head on one side. He wrapped an arm around Val and grinned at her. "Well, you should know, Bran and Nightlight are playing poker with the elves. I think we should stay here for a while."

Val nodded and hugged Jack. It was moments like this that made her happy.


	35. Shopping with Cupid

Although North was furious about the whole poker incident, Val had managed to calm him down, while Jack was busy laughing himself silly at the gambling elves.

"But elves are playing poker!"

"With sweets, North, it's not really that bad…" Val shook out her wings. Sighing, she patted the Guardian of Wonder on his back.

North looked up at his (sort of) daughter and clasped his hands over hers.

"Will you make them help with the party? We have just two weeks until Christmas. On Christmas Day, we'll have a party and everyone will come. It's a very big deal."

He wrung his hands and a tear trickled out of one big blue eye. "I do not have much time! I have to make sure everything works, I cannot have elves being corrupted and I have to make time to plan party and build castle!"

Val smiled in sympathy, praying to keep her temper, and inwardly thanking North for not forgetting the castle. She patted his back and Phil called North over.

Bran, Nightlight and Jack looked up as one as Val walked slowly over.

"Val, what's up…with …" Jack's voice trailed away under Val's demonic gaze. She looked at them with anger and disappointment.

Bran edged backwards, and Nightlight backed off as well, all of them seeing waves of darkness from the livid girl.

"I don't believe you. Bran, I blame you entirely, along with Nightlight. Jack, you weren't helping like you said you would, you bloody well joined in!"

She breathed out.

"So, Bran, what's your excuse?" She smiled in the scariest manner possible.

Bran froze, turning grey and backing away. She walked towards him. "I said, what's your excuse?"

"I tried to teach Nightlight to play poker!"

Jack and Nightlight both face palmed at this confession. Valentina gritted her teeth.

"So your excuse is you tried to teach an eternal child to play poker?"

Bran tried to back away faster and gave a little squeak. Val heard Nightlight snigger, and whirled around.

"And teaching the elves? I hope you're proud of yourself. North is extremely busy and oh yeah, he so needed that to happen!"

Nightlight pointed to Bran and Val flicked his forehead.

"Don't you dare. You were just as much to blame! All three of you are completely at fault. You are going to help North, and I am never going to forgive you for this!"

She marched past them, and Jack gaped. Not going to forgive them? Could she suddenly not take a joke?

He felt fear creep forward as Val seemed to hone in on that thought, glaring darkly at Jack.

"This isn't a joke, Jack, it's Christmas. North is actually trying to work, and by the stars, you're going to help him!"

Jack tried to catch her hand. "Val, wait! I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry!"

She shook him off, and raised an eyebrow. "Please help North. He is really worried about this Christmas. I'm off to visit Tooth."

Jack looked at her with his best puppy eyes, letting the blue eyes fill with tears. One trickled haltingly down the snow white cheek of the boy just as Val turned around.

Val gasped, a knife of guilt twisting in her chest, forcing her (dammit) to relent as she turned slowly back.

"I'll see you later." She kissed his cheek where the tear was, receiving a salty taste upon her lips, and wiped the tear track away.

Jack caught her hand and she tugged her hand free. "I promised Tooth I would visit her, Jack. We're going shopping with my godfather."

Jack chuckled. "Who goes shopping with Cupid?"

"Someone who is going to the Christmas party in two weeks' time. I have to find a good dress for the party, okay?"

Jack laughed and waved her away. It was good to have life back to normal.

/

Grim stared at the brightly coloured invitation, and laughed. "So you stole me an invitation?"

The spirit of the Morrigan's daughter gave him a smile, reminiscent of Grim's scythe when it was truly in its prime.

"I don't know. It would be fun to mess with their heads a little. Turn up and make them realise they haven't beaten me yet. But all those people who know her, well, they would kill me on sight."

The spirit hissed. _Oh, but they won't. It's a masked dance. No one will know who you are._

Grim smiled lazily. That was perfect.

/

"Valenteen! My darling, you look gorgeous!"

Val got a hug from her godfather. This time, they had found the perfect dress. Tooth was happily chattering about how it looked. Cupid and she were fast friends, and he adored the Mini Fairies.

Valentina sighed. "I hope everything is alright at the party. We still have to find a mask for me, and I really want everything to be okay at this party."

"So you said, my dear." Cupid caught sight of a young man blushing while talking to the assistant. "Hold it! I'm needed."

Val made a face and headed to the changing rooms, putting on her old clothes and carrying the dress.

"I can't believe he's getting this for me, Tooth." She cradled the dress and smiled up at the Guardian of Memories. Tooth giggled and the Mini's flew over, tugging Val's hair.

"It's because he forgot to buy you a present on your birthday, sweetie."

Val smiled and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mind, it was him crying when he realised. And this is the best present ever."

She thought for a bit. "I know a mask shop. I've got just enough money for the mask I want." She waved at her godfather just as the young couple exchanged numbers.

"Valenteen, you bring the best of me out. I would have had her give the young man a fake number, but you smiled. Their path will have to run true, dammit."

Val gave him the dress. "Me and Tooth will go ahead to the mask shop. I'll buy my own, okay?"

Cupid waved her away, absorbed in the couple in front of him.

/

The mask shop was filled with people, but Val picked up the mask she wanted, slipping through the crowd and dropping the mask down on the counter with the money.

"This one, please."

The woman bagged it up and gave her a smile. The good thing about shopping in the spirit shops was that most people who came in were human and had no idea where they were, but the shopkeeper could see you. Valentina smiled at the carefully taped tissue paper, but left the mask as it was.

"Tooth, are you choosing a mask?"

Tooth picked up a mask that swept up one side of her forehead, glittering pink and golden shades contrasting with the blue feathers that outlined her face. She tipped her head to one side. "I kind of like this one."

"Suits you. Let's pay up and wait for him outside."

/

Cupid came dancing towards them. "I got your dress, and he waited for her until it was her break!"

Valentina laughed as the man danced around them, and handed her the dress. Tooth shook her head fondly.

"We better head back now, Tooth. I told the boys to help North. I don't know what exactly they'll do, but I bet they've done something by now!"

Tooth giggled. "Of course. But isn't that one of the things that makes them adorable?"

"It depends whether you're the one calming down our Russian friend." Val stretched her wings out and flushed, remembering the taste of salt. She raised a hand and touched her lips before flying upwards, followed by Tooth.

Cupid smiled. "Au revoir, Valenteen!" Val waved at him before soaring up and flying towards the Pole.

But Tooth was right. It was one of the many things that made Jack adorable, the way he would blush and try to wriggle out of blame, or try the puppy eyes.

Val grinned to herself. He really was cute.


	36. Pingu? Really?

**The thing is…**

**I haven't been getting many reviews… (The author is unhappy. Please imagine tissues full of tears.)**

**But I wrote this. I PROMISE THE PARTY IS COMING SOON! **

Jack walked by with a stack of dishes and nearly dropped them.

"What's with that face?" He put the dishes in the kitchen and raced back, holding Val's face between his hands. It was a sort of vacant pout, and Val stared almost right through him for a few seconds before blinking.

"Oh. Hey."

Jack frowned. She usually wasn't this depressed. He waved a hand back and forth in front of her eyes again.

"Val? What's up? You're…"

She tipped her head to one side. "What?"

"You keep spacing out!" He realised she wasn't paying attention and decided to take drastic measures.

_Chomp._

"_What the hell?! You bit my nose! You complete and utter, utter…"_

She looked up at him, and blinked.

"Hey, Jack, were you worried? About me, I mean?"

He felt a blush rise and nodded quickly. "You kept spacing out, I told you!"

She tapped his cheek. "Let my face go, and I'll explain why."

He released her face and she sighed. "I've been trying to find out where the Morrígan is. It was her daughter who was given up to the scythe. But my mind keeps getting deflected, so this is a bit of a side effect."

Jack slapped his hand over his eyes. He knew who the Morrígan was. How the hell did Val think she could beat said evil monstrous lady? Of course she would have whatever was the equivalent of a mind shield.

"However, I did manage to partly talk to her. She wasn't happy about that, let me tell you. I had to go silvery, but she knew what happened to her daughter. She says Grim's obsessed with replenishing the scythe."

He peeked through his fingers. "Val, you are stubborn. But you know, also amazing."

She threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want to be a scythe! That evil monster should give up right away!" She hugged Jack and he patted her back.

"It's okay. North told me that he has almost finished the castle for you! My magic went into it, so that the clouds work now." He hoped this would calm her down. He didn't want his Val crying.

He hugged her tightly. "He's been working hard, you know?" North had been eating where he worked, the reason for the stack of dishes in fact.

Val nodded, but didn't really move away. She smiled. "Do you think it made him happy? That idea I had?"

"I'm sure of it. He's been tinkering away for days now." Jack ruffled her hair, and gave her a smile. "The robot's been helping him. It's a bit underfoot, though." In fact, it was more overhead, with the wings. It had been helping.

"Jack, I don't know whether I want to move out, now. But North worked so hard…"

He smiled down, putting a hand to her face. "I know. Because you could have helped, but you looked upset. This is your home right here."

She nodded again, and he picked her up, slinging her over one shoulder. "Who says the castle has to leave her, idiot? It doesn't!"

She shrieked like a child, before hugging him. "Jack…"

He let her slide a little so her face was level with his. "Yeah?"

"You're part of my happiness here." She said it with a serious face and Jack blushed. Saying something like that without blushing! Really!

She grinned. "You make a weird face when you blush." Jack went a kind of ultramarine blue, which she assumed was the Jack Frost equivalent of tomato red. She kissed his cheek, and raised an eyebrow. "I mean it. You open your mouth a little, and blink a few times, and you go completely blue with blushing. It's so cute. The mini fairies would swarm you!"

He frowned. "Like you don't make weird faces!"

She went pink and grinned again. "Oh, right. I do. And you're Pingu."

"Who's Pingu?" He made a face. "I know that you mean that you don't make weird faces, but that was one weird face you made when you spaced out."

"That doesn't count."

"So who is Pingu?" Jack asked.

"A penguin," Val smiled at him, a sly look creeping onto her face "who you should totally ask Sophie about. I'm off to visit Cottontail."

Jack gave her a confused look. Was she setting him up?

Nah. Couldn't be.

I mean, what was dangerous about a penguin?

…

He landed in Burgess, coming through an open window. Jamie saw him and raced towards him, hugging the teen around the waist. "Jack!"

"Hey, kiddo. Where's your sister?"

Jamie looked puzzled. "Why do you want to talk to Sophie?" He turned.

"Sophie! Come here a minute!"

The blonde toddler appeared, dressed in dungarees and fairy wings. "Jack! Jackie!"

She raced up hugging Jack. "Hey, kid!" He ruffled the gold locks and smiled.

"I've got a question for you, Sophie."

He looked at her, eyes wide and serious. "Who's Pingu?"

Jamie backed away, and tried to mime a danger sign at Jack.

Sophie looked down, and then up at Jack, a huge smile stretching across her face. She seized Jack's hand.

Jack gulped. _Uh-oh._

…

The sun was shining in the Warren, flowers sprouting from the ground and the river flowing, droplets of multi-coloured liquid catching the light every now and then. On the bank, a dark haired girl sang quietly, eggs clustering around her as she laughed. Her ears caught the sound of feet coming closer at what could only be described as rabbit speed. She looked up slightly guiltily at E. Aster Bunnymund and swallowed. "Hey, Bunny!"

Bunnymund arched an eyebrow at Val. "So…why are you here?"

She hummed contentedly, swirling a finger experimentally in the river of dye. Bringing a few droplets out, she painted a few flowers on her jeans. "Um."

Bunnymund waited for more, the little walking eggs crowding against his back legs. Eventually Val looked up. "I may have set Jack up for a fall. So I decided to come here, and I told him I was. However, I made sure he won't be able to come until Sophie falls asleep."

She dripped some paint onto her jeans again. Bunnymund grinned. "Now what have you done, ankle biter?" He flicked her ear gently and she snickered.

"You ever hear Sophie go on about Pingu?"

Bunnymund groaned. Of course he had. That damn penguin was all Sophie would talk about at the moment besides Bunnymund. In all his weirdest dreams he had never thought he would compete with a clay penguin for a kid's attention.

"Well, Jack doesn't know who he is…" Val trailed off to paint a passing egg with a cloud.

She looked up at Bunnymund. "So I told him to ask the expert."

Bunnymund frowned for a few minutes and then it clicked. "You're _joking, _Sheila!"

"Nah. I thought it might do him good. Actually, no, that's a lie; I thought it might be funny." She hummed again, and Bunnymund laughed. Jack was in for a whole lot of Sophie babble. She hardly ever made sense, but she tried to talk to you when she was babbling. Jack had teased him hundreds of times about putting up with Sophie, and now he was in for the whole caboodle.

"Oh, that's just precious. That frostbitten show pony is going to regret he ever asked." His face became serious. "He will blame _you, _you know."

She started humming again and Bunnymund thought he recognized the tune. She broke off the song to smile slightly. "Yeah, I realize, but you know what?"

"Of course I don't, sheila!" That was the bad thing about Val; she automatically assumed everyone knew what she was talking about when she changed the subject.

"Okay… I'll tell you. I don't mind, because he'll forgive me eventually. Or start a prank war."

"Ah, no. You two are not starting another. You always team up in the end and come after one of us. Pitch I don't mind being pranked, but last time it was me. Took me ages to figure out how to get rid of the string stuff." Bunnymund glared down and she pouted, making her eyes go big and wide. He yelped.

"No! You can't do the sparkly attack!" Her eyes glittered and watered slightly, and he almost saw sparkles in the air next to her.

"Alright! You can pull pranks on each other! Just not on me!" He mentally cursed himself for giving in to the bambi eyes.

She closed her eyes and grinned. "Never fails. Although I can't believe it worked against a rabbit."

Bunnymund stomped off. That damn girl!

…

Jack stormed into the Warren, the temperature dropping a little. "Where's my girl, Cottontail?"

It was late in the evening, and the large rabbit appeared, blinking sleepily. "What's up Frostbite? Something the matter?" He grinned at Jack.

"Never again! I will never do as she says, never ever!" He glared at the large rabbit who started to laugh.

"She's hiding. She had quite a laugh at your expense, by the way. Told me to tell ya that she thought ya deserved it."

Jack's eyebrows furrowed and he strode forward, spotting a tree with a silvery quality.

"Found you."

The tree quivered, turning quickly into a hysterical Valentina.

"I had to sit through hours of penguin videos! Half of the time I didn't even know what she was on about! You did that deliberately!"

Tears sprang to his eyes and he swiped at a passing egg with his staff, aiming to miss. He kicked moodily at a flower. "And you know the worst part? I knew it! I knew you were going to laugh at me when I found you!"

His lip trembled slightly.

Val reached out to grab his hand, but he pulled it out of her reach. "Why did you have to do that? It wasn't funny!"

"Jack, you know that if you'd done that to me, you'd have found it hilarious!" Val said, with a gentler tone to her voice now.

"I knew it! You are laughing at me!" He turned away, and looked back slowly, seeing Val raising her eyebrows.

"Uh huh. I am. But don't throw a tantrum over it." She reached out slowly when he looked away, and quickly slipped her arm through his, smiling. He didn't tug away from her but dropped his head onto hers.

"Stupid." Val chided him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He protested faintly, the noise muffled by her headband. She laughed slightly.

"Want to go back home? I promise I won't tell the others what happened. Bunnymund might, though."

Jack nodded, wrapping his other arm around her. She clapped her hands together and the staff appeared. She drew a small circle around them, with some difficulty, but it began to glow.

"Hey… hold on tight!" A small breeze wrapped itself around them and they landed in the living room. They untangled themselves, and she sat on the sofa.

"I'm waaaaay tired." This was immediately evidenced by her falling asleep. Jack sat next to her, and started to plait her hair. Now this was revenge – and one which Val wouldn't particularly mind.

**Please review, favourite, follow, whatever floats your boat!**


	37. The Castle (and the return of Mr Pony)

Maria was sitting on a hill.

"Come now, darling, it's just a party. She's bound to go to some; she's a teenager and a relatively young immortal."

The shadow on the Moon shifted and Maria stood up, brushing grass off of her skirts. "Ah well. I'll be there; I'll keep an eye on her. If he turns up, or tries to pull anything, I'll make sure everything is alright."

The shadows created an agreeable light, and a few moonbeams shone upon her face. "Oh, your little darlings do seem to adore me." Green flames leapt playfully among the moonbeams, creating a dazzling array of reflected light. Maria smiled and blew a kiss into the skies. "My farewells to you, dearest."

At least now she had an excuse to poke her nose into her daughter's business.

…

Valentina shivered a little. It was the day before the party. Hearing footsteps, she turned, a huge smile breaking out on her face.

"Hey, North!" She greeted the large Russian but didn't expect to be thrown over his shoulder.

"Jack told me. Will you treat it as I treat the sleigh? Go around the world in the castle?"

Val blinked, and blushed. "I guess… Jack wasn't supposed to tell you."

North laughed. "Ah, that is okay! He tells me anyway!"

She raised her eyebrows. "You've sort of missed the point there, North." She hugged him awkwardly. "Let's see the castle then."

North carried her down to the deep ice cavern. Icicles sharp as a shark's tooth filled the place, but Val felt strangely at home. This, she knew, was the empathic echoes of the love North had lavished upon her castle while he was at work here.

"Oh, North…" Tears of gratitude filled her eyes. He put her down and led her to the edge.

It took her breath away. A true fairy tale castle, with turrets and a drawbridge, half iron plating and half stone walls. A fountain caught her eye, and she frowned, looking closer. It was in the form of a crow with a girl standing beside it. She gaped at the work that had clearly gone into it.

Beautiful curtains shielded the rooms from her eyes, and she looked up at North.

"You can explore it another time! If you don't want to see it right now."

She flung her arms around the large Russian as far as they would reach. "It's perfect! North, thank you so much!"

He hugged her. "I just want my Valentina to be happy. If a castle makes you happy, then I will build a castle!"

She began to snuffle, and he smiled. "Ah, but no tears. Let us go! I will let you ride the sleigh. You cannot drive your castle until you learn the rudimentary gear controls." He grabbed the smaller hand in his and dragged her back through the cavern.

Turning through two huge wooden doors, they reached the sleigh. It was…

Gorgeous. It was easy to see how it could potentially fly by itself, but Val pulled her hand free and rushed towards the huge deer, gripping a handful of Comet's surprisingly soft coat. "Ahh…"

She leaned her forehead against that of the caribou. He snorted, stamping his hooves. The fur on his forehead was coarse, and she smiled shyly.

"Caribou know you are to be trusted. They are good judges of character."

He caught sight of a dark shadow and frowned. "Although Pitch keeps that one here. I do not know why I agreed to this…"

Val shrieked happily, letting go of the caribou. "Mr Horsey!" She rushed over to the fearling and hugged the dark creature, patting the sandy neck and cooing at it.

The horse nuzzled against her neck and she giggled happily, wings sprouting and wrapping around 'Mr Horsey' lovingly.

North was speechless.

…

"Something is not right…" Pitch muttered, getting up swiftly. He looked down in fear at his hands and Jack frowned. "What's up, Pitch?"

They had been sitting in a hostile silence up until that moment. He had no idea as to what could make the Nightmare King wear such an expression of fear.

"Well, Jack, I had been keeping a fearling here, but it isn't obeying my commands to go and fetch pastries. It should listen to my every word."

He turned a panicked face to the young boy.

"It may attack me! I know where it is! We must go check."

He seized Jack's hand – "Hey, Pitch, calm down! Are you even sane?" – And ran with the winter spirit through a shadow, appearing outside the doors to the sleigh room. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You keep your pony here?"

"It is not a pony, you stupid brat! It is a fearling! A creature of ultimate darkness and chaos!"

He slammed open the doors and their jaws dropped. Jack vaguely registered that North was in much the same condition, but the sight of Val hugging and cooing at the fearling, who appeared to be cuddling her back was absolutely…

Jack recovered enough to whisper something to Pitch.

"Creature of ultimate darkness, huh…"

Pitch went a tar black with blushing. "Shut up, Frost."

He turned on his heel and Jack winked at Val before following.

"And I believe you mentioned chaos? Could it be your plan is to cuddle Grim into submission?"

"I said shut up!"

"Poor Grim, so intimidated. Perhaps we can finish him off with a muffin basket?"

He dodged Pitch's swing and grabbed his arm so they both vanished to reappear in the lounge.

"Maybe we could have a nice chat over some knitting to discuss his feelings with him!" Jack continued brightly. Nightlight blinked, looking up from a game of poker he was playing with Bran, who frowned. "Have we missed something?"

Pitch growled, starting to storm off.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pitch." Jack managed to sound heartfelt. Pitch turned around to see Jack with wide open arms.

"Hug therapy?"

He just managed to dodge a vase that was thrown in his direction.


	38. The Last Dance

North hummed to himself, dressing in robes of deep crimson. A masquerade. Perfect party. Some spirits could not disguise their identity, like Bunny, but some could. He knew that Valentina and Jack were looking forward to it, as they had spent money of horrendous amounts on their costumes. Well… you were only young once after all.

He swept down to the main hall where everything had been decorated in deep greens, stunning reds, and ghostly pale whites. Jack had created a magnificent chandelier of sparkling ice that the guests were gaping at, and North chuckled. One guest, dressed in a magnificent green cloak and blue waistcoat was looking very pleased indeed with himself. _Found you, Jack!_

A small cough came from behind him. "Um…"

He turned and his eyes softened as pride swelled in his chest. He felt like a father on Prom Night. His little Valentina was a beauty.

Her hair fell gently to her waist, its coal black colour contrasting rather prettily with the silver dress she was wearing, which flowed to the ground and showed off her figure nicely. Her mask was a very pale shade of silver, shaped at one side like a moth's wing – a Lunar Moth if he was not mistaken- and her skin glowed healthily, her grey eyes turning to that shining colour as well. She looked like a moonbeam or a star that had fallen to Earth, and radiated a sort of loveliness that drew the eye towards her. He stretched an arm towards the stairs. "There are many people waiting to dance with you, little one."

She nodded in acknowledgement, but fear flickered in those starry grey – silver eyes, and he smiled. "No call to be afraid. Go, go dance and follow the music."

She walked, little white shoes tapping against each step, and every spirit in that room turned to look at this Cinderella of the stars who had graced them, and Jack in his hunter's costume drank in her appearance, his eyes focusing on her. She felt his eyes and thoughts, and looked up, finding him, and he walked forward, a grin breaking out on his pale face.

"Might I have this dance?" he asked as the violins sang their melodies to the air. Nightlight could be seen dancing with a spring spirit whose flower mask was outmatched by the flowers that grew under her feet as she danced. Bran was actually one of those playing the violins, his brow creased as he coaxed beautiful songs from the strings.

"Yes, you may, sir hunter." She winked at him and they began to move together in a happy waltzing manner, unaware of all else in the room aside from each other and the music.

Maria felt the deadly presence before she recognized its source, fear and anger sweeping through her as she tried to find the Lord of Death.

"How dare he show his face?" she muttered, eyes sweeping across the room before finding a cloaked and masked figure. Pitch bowed to her, and she gripped his fingers. "He's here, I take it?" Pitch asked her calmly as they danced. Maria nodded, her fury resulting in flames crackling along her arms. Pitch made a small shushing sound, and she fumed in silence, the flames disappearing.

Regret showed on the young immortals' faces when the song ended, and they parted to move through the crowd, each with a flushed face from dancing so happily. Val forgot to look where she was going and bumped into a figure clad in indigo blue.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She smiled, and the figure did not speak but bowed, before straightening.

"Oh… you want to dance?" she asked. Uncertainty struck a chord in her. He was completely dressed in dark blues, but his mask, covering his face, was a little unnerving. At the edges thorny spikes gripped his hair possessively and she almost took a step back, but he captured her fingers and began to dance.

"I'm so happy I got to dance with you."

The voice made her almost shriek in terror as Grim allowed her to reach into his mind, deaths flooding through her. He turned her around so she was no longer facing him, and smiled behind the blank mask. Shadows kept the other dancers back and Jack saw the flickering light as she fainted, and ran to her. Her fingers reached up and knocked away Grim's mask.

"GRIM!" Jack howled the name and flung himself at the other boy, only for shadows to keep him from reaching Valentina. Maria and Pitch looked up to see Grim's pendant become a cracked and ragged weapon, which he tried to use upon Valentina. But the girl had recovered, parting the shadows with a strong blow of her right arm. Jack gathered her into his arms, leaving Grim shaking in fury, before green and purple fire surrounded him, followed by black sand as Pitch attacked with the same vigour as Valentina's mother.

"You dare attack my child?" she screamed, and Grim seemed undaunted, smirking.

"She was not my target, old woman." He flung the weapon towards Jack, who tried to shield Valentina…

It fell to the ground along with Bran.

His grey skin was becoming paler as he heard voices scream his name, felt a dozen shades tug at his soul. The scythe dragged him into itself and nothing was left where the Nightmare Prince had lain dying.

He had seen what had happened, dropped the violin, and thrown himself in front of Jack, and been struck by the Death Lord's weapon. Then Grim saw the scythe begin to mend.

"Oh, that's much better." Shadows claimed the weapon and Grim disappeared, and Pitch fell to his knees.

"No. No. No." Tears of grief wrenched from his eyes and fearlings swept through the hall… before a small hand gripped his. He looked into Val's tear filled eyes and nodded.


End file.
